By Scott Harvey
Dallas – The presiding judge in the John Doe 7 vs. City of Commerce lawsuit has ordered a settlement conference between the two sides.
The meeting, which allows for either an open or closed session, will be conducted Friday at 1 p.m. in the Earl Cabell Federal Building in Dallas.
According to Commerce City Attorney Jim McLeroy, this is the courts attempt to "exhaust all opportunities to settle the case." However, neither side is obligated to come to an agreement.
If no settlement is reached, the case will proceed to trial later this year.
Two previous attempts to settle the lawsuit have been unsuccessful. As of April 15, the City of Commerce had spent over $120,000 in legal fees in the case.
The lawsuit, which claims the city's sex offender ordinance is unconstitutional, was filed in November, 2007.
Due to the ongoing litigation, the ordinance is currently not being enforced.