Kudos to Judge Gregory Lewis for ordering OC Department of Education Superintendent Bill Habermehl to continue verifying signatures in the AUHSD special election petition drive.

Here is Judge Lewis' order:

UPDATE (1:37 p.m.): I just spoke with Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen, representing the plaintiffs. Rosen said Habermehl is ordered to complete the count and verify by Sept. 19 if there are enough valid signatures. Then the parties will come back to court and  -- assuming there'll be enough valid signatures -- the judge will decide whether or not to hold the special election.

That places a great deal of pressure on the judge. Since more than 60 days have passed since Denise Reinking-Mansfield's death, the AUHSD Board of Trustees can't change course and call a special election. That means only the judge can call a special election -- barring some change of heart by Habermehl.

Local judges are skittish about interfering in elections, and I just can't see any local elected judge spiking this petition drive and courting all that voter anger on the basis of Habermehl's sketchy rationale.

Bill Habermehl should do himself and everyone else a favor by doing nothing more to contest this petition.

UPDATE (4:27 p.m.): The OC Register has this web story up.