City of Bell v. Superior Court (Rizzo): City Need Not Indemnify Former Official In Actions Alleging Theft of City Funds

Robert Rizzo deserves to have his picture in the dictionary next to the word "chutzpah." 

Robert Rizzo, the former Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Bell (City), has been sued by the City, as well as the Attorney General acting on behalf of the City, for restitution for his alleged looting of the City's coffers. He has also been criminally charged with multiple counts of misappropriation of public funds. Rizzo, by complaint for declaratory relief, seeks a judgment that the City is contractually obligated to provide him with a defense to these civil and criminal actions. We conclude that, as a matter of law, the City does not owe Rizzo such a defense. 

City of Bell v. Superior Court (Rizzo) (10/4/13) --- Cal.App.4th ---, slip op. at 2.  

The opinion is available here.