An appeals court said Monday it would take under consideration the city of Anaheim’s bid to reverse,at least temporarily,the Angels name change.
Lawyers for the city and Angels Baseball LP argued for two hours before the 4th District Court of Appeals in Santa Ana. The court did not say when it might rule on Anaheim’s bid for a temporary injunction reversing the Angels’ name change to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The baseball season starts next week. Andrew Guilford, a lawyer for the city of Anaheim, said he expected it could be days or weeks before a decision is made.
The city is appealing a judge’s rulings earlier in the year in which preliminary and temporary injunctions sought by Anaheim to change the name back to Anaheim Angels were rejected.
The legal fight is playing out on two fronts,the injunction denial appeal and a separate lawsuit filed by the city against the team. In the suit, the city charges the name change violates the team’s 1996 lease at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, which was struck with prior owner Walt Disney Co.
The appeals court encouraged the sides to work the disagreement out amongst themselves or in arbitration.
Angels lawyer George Stephan, who heads the Los Angeles headquarters of Stephan, Oringher, Richman & Theodora, told the court the team had approached the city about a settlement, but hadn’t gotten a response.
