A judge denied Anaheim’s bid for a temporary restraining order to keep Arte Moreno from changing the Angels baseball team’s name to include Los Angeles.
Superior Court Judge Peter Polos rejected the city’s bid early Friday. Earlier in the week, owner Moreno changed the team’s name to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The city contends the move violates the team’s lease at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
A hearing on a request for a preliminary, rather than temporary, injunction against the team is set for Jan. 21, according to the Associated Press.
Why the judge declined the request wasn’t immediately clear. Early speculation was that the city had to show it would have suffered harm between now and Jan. 21, which could be difficult to prove.
Anaheim sued the Angels on Wednesday. The city contends the name change hurts its image as a tourist hub.
