Santa Barbara asks judge to dismiss rent freeze lawsuit in federal court

Santa Barbara asks judge to dismiss rent freeze lawsuit in federal court

The city of Santa Barbara is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges the rent freeze it passed in January is “unconstitutional.” Attorney Barry Cappello filed the suit in April on behalf of property owners, but Santa Barbara responded swiftly with a request to have the lawsuit thrown out.  “The complaint had weaknesses that were appropriate to attack,” said John Doimas, the Santa Barbara city attorney. A federal judge from the U…