City of Lemoore requests temporary restraining order against councilmember

A feud that has been brewing for months in Lemoore has made its way into the court system.

Last week, attorneys for the city of Lemoore filed an application for a temporary restraining order against city councilmember Holly Andrade Blair.

According to court documents, Blair has been censured by fellow councilmembers and sent multiple cease-and-desist letters.

But despite those actions, attorneys for the city said she continues to make public remarks that harm the city and endanger public safety.

"Beginning on April 4, 2018, and continuing through the date of this filing, Respondent has engaged in a regular pattern and practice of making public statements adverse and derogatory to specific Lemoore police officers, including but not limited to Police Chief Darrell Smith and Police Commander Margarita Ochoa regarding their performance of their jobs for Petitioner," attorneys state in an application for a temporary restraining order against Blair.

One of the public statements Blair made, according to court documents, was that she was skeptical and fearful of the chief and the department following a series of warnings she received from Lemoore police officers about her driving, including one incident in which she was allegedly speeding in a school zone.

Blair, city attorneys say, also claimed at a council meeting that Commander Ochoa had not investigated an alleged sexual assault at Lemoore High School - which Blair had reported to Ochoa after seeing the allegations on Twitter.

"Petitioner seeks an order enjoining Respondent from all further public statements regarding Smith's and Ochoa's job performance, and directing her instead to use the confidential processes established under State and municipal law and the City's Rules for those purposes," the application states.

The next court date is scheduled for March 1, but a mediation between the two parties will start on Monday.