Portsmouth should reimburse Jim Hewitt’s legal fees
Dec. 9 — To the Editor:
Ten months ago, myself and a number of others warned the city of Portsmouth and its officials that they were asking for trouble in publicly accusing Planning Board member Jim Hewitt of “malfeasance” and seeking his removal from that board on that basis. We warned that the city was virtually inviting a lawsuit against it by Mr. Hewitt for defamation, and we pointed out that the city could not possibly win that lawsuit, for even if it won, it would still lose (or, at least, the city’s taxpayers would). The defense of that suit would cost tens of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees, to say nothing of the disruption of the city government’s normal business operations.
Apparently the city has learned nothing from the lesson that we tried to teach it, for it has balked at Mr. Hewitt’s request to be reimbursed for the $28,108.85 in legal fees and expenses that he incurred in defending his honor, protecting his good name and reputation, and defending the city’s frivolous complaint…