Lompoc City Councilman Stephen “Steve” Bridge will continue to face criminal charges after a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge in Lompoc denied on Thursday a defense motion to dismiss the 25 counts. 

During the hearing, Judge Juan Higuera also denied a prosecution motion to transfer the case to Superior Court in Santa Barbara.

The criminal case arose after Bridge submitted paperwork for Lompoc city-operated rebate programs related to lighting efficiency and water leak repairs.

The allegations, first filed in November 2025, accused Bridge of submitting paperwork for rebates but including a contracting firm and state license number for an out-of-town inactive company with a name that matched his stepson’s.

The felonies include forgery, grand theft, misappropriation of public funds, fraudulent use of a contractor’s license number, identify theft, presentation of a fraudulent claim, preparing false document evidence and offering false evidence. He also faces five misdemeanor charges.

Defense attorney Michael Scott filed a motion seeking to dismiss the charges, contending that the case lacked probable cause to continue. The motion isn’t unusual in criminal cases following a preliminary hearing in which a judge rules that a defendant should stand trial.

Scott wrote that “the charges are grossly overcharged and essential elements conspicuously missing” as he urged that all counts should be dismissed.

In court Thursday afternoon, Scott argued that his client did not forge documents or intend to defraud the city, noting the work was done and the stepson was paid for the tasks.

“I would submit on many of these counts the evidence is lacking,” Scott added.

However, Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota argued that the forged documents were done to intentionally defraud the city.

His motion quoted Bridge’s statement that the city “needed a receipt to document the work was done, so I ginned that thing up.”

In his ruling at the end of the preliminary hearing, Judge Stephen Dunkle considered the testimony of witnesses along with “the declarations the defendant drafted for others containing statements he knew to be false, and business records he altered before producing them to the District Attorney’s Office,” Cota wrote in his motion.

“The magistrate weighed the defendant’s ‘no harm, no foul’ theory and rejected it,” Cota wrote. 

On Thursday, Judge Higuera said he reviewed the legal documents and the preliminary hearing transcript, and determined that probable cause exists for the charges to remain. 

Citing a number of public statements by the defendant plus Mayor Jim Mosby during council meetings about the allegations and motives for the prosecution, Cota’s motion asked the judge to transfer the case to Santa Barbara.

However, Bridge’s attorney opposed the request, contending that it would be inconvenient, including for witnesses and the defendant. 

Mosby, because of his elected role, “is for all intents and purposes the victim in this case,” Cota contended, saying the mayor’s statements from the bully pulpit referred to the criminal case as a conspiracy.

Cota, however, also cited Bridge’s comments while sitting on the council dais. 

“He made statements about plea negotiations that were false,” Cota said, adding that he submitted emails to the court to show the offers.

Selecting a jury could be more problematic in the North County than the South County, Cota said. 

For Lompoc and Santa Maria trials, potential jurors are pulled from throughout the North County, while Santa Barbara cases get jury candidates from the South Coast.

“This is a political case here. It is not a political case in Santa Barbara,” Cota said, adding that the fairest trial for both sides would occur if the case is heard in Santa Barbara. 

Scott rejected the idea that Tuesday’s election, which ousted Mosby from office, was a referendum since Bridge wasn’t on the ballot either directly or indirectly. 

“My client does not want this case transferred,” Scott said. 

The defense attorney contended that the prosecutor could not show good cause for a transfer.

Periodically, cases get transferred between the North County and South County because of scheduling conflicts and timing concerns.

Scott also noted that the criminal case against Bridge has been reported by media outlets throughout the county.

The judge ruled that good cause for transferring the case to the South Coast had not been established. 

Higuera said he and the attorneys could revisit the transfer request if issues arise during questioning of potential jurors. 

Bridge was elected to the council in November 2024 with his term set to end in late 2028. He represents the northern areas of the city.

A trial date has not been set yet for the case. 

After ruling on both motions, the judge and attorneys agreed the case would return to court on Jan. 11.