Elk Grove paid three law firms nearly $47,000 in June as legal costs mount

ELK GROVE, Calif. — The city of Elk Grove paid three law firms that specialize in public-entity and law-enforcement representation a combined $46,598.15 in June, according to the city's monthly accounts-payable register.

The largest share went to Sacramento-based Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff LLP, which received seven payments totaling $40,573.76. The city paid Jones Mayer $3,354.27 in two transactions and Caulfield Law Firm $2,670.12 in three transactions.

Every entry was described only as “attorney services” or the abbreviated “atty services.” The register does not identify a lawsuit, claim, investigation or other legal matter connected to the payments.

The only publicly known case the city is currently defending involving its police chief is a lawsuit filed by Vanessa Vaden against the city, the Elk Grove Police Department, Police Chief Robert “Bobby” Davis and other defendants. Vaden has alleged sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. The defendants have denied wrongdoing, and the city has said an independent investigation found no wrongdoing by Davis.

Because the register does not specify which matters generated the bills, it cannot be determined whether any of the June expenditures are connected to Vaden's allegations or Davis' defense.

The nature of the firms' practices, however, places the payments within an area of heightened public interest. Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff promotes its defense of police officers, police departments and government agencies in civil rights, use-of-force and misconduct cases. Jones Mayer advises and represents law-enforcement agencies, including in civil rights lawsuits. Caulfield Law Firm lists public-entity defense litigation among its primary practice areas.

The June payments also follow $16,624.93 paid to Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff in May, as previously reported by Elk Grove News. Taken together, the May payments to that firm and the June payments to the three firms total $63,223.08.

That total does not establish that the expenditures are related to a single case. Still, the payments show that the city's outside legal costs are mounting quickly, while taxpayers remain unable to determine from the public check registers which disputes or defendants are generating the bills.

Sources

• City of Elk Grove, June 2026 AP Check Register, physical PDF pages 9, 16, 17 and 21.
• Caulfield Law Firm — Public Entity Defense Litigation
• Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff — Law Enforcement and Police Representation
• Jones Mayer — Law Enforcement Counsel
• Elk Grove News — Earlier Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff payments

June 2026 payment register