The prosecution dismissed these claims, saying they did not apply and their value was not great enough. Civil lawsuits by parents Within days after the incident, Ron Thomas, the father of Kelly Thomas, retained noted personal injury and civil rights attorney Garo Mardirossian to represent him in a civil action against the City of Fullerton and the involved officers. Atty. Mardirossian held several press conferences to address bringing criminal charges against Officer Manuel Ramos, Corporal Jay Cicinelli, and Officer Joseph Wolfe, and the civil lawsuit filed against the city. These press conferences aired locally, nationally, and internationally, heightening public interest, and imposing pressure on the Orange County District Attorney to file criminal charges. In the civil proceedings, Cathy Thomas, the mother of Kelly Thomas, settled for $1 million. Cathy Thomas was represented by another lawyer. Despite the subsequent verdicts in favor of Officer Ramos and Corporal Cicinelli, Mr. Mardirossian obtained a $4.9 million settlement in the suit by Ron Thomas just before Manuel Ramos, the chief perpetrator, was to testify in the civil jury trial. The settlement precluded the officers who were fired from being re-hired by Fullerton Police Department. Recall election The recall election against Don Bankhead, F. Dick Jones, and Pat McKinley, three members of the city council thought to have responded insufficiently to the beating, qualified on the ballot in February 2012 and was scheduled for June 5, 2012, consolidated with the statewide primary election. All three council members were successfully recalled by Fullerton residents. Each was voted out by an almost identical majority of nearly 66%. Their replacements were: Travis Kiger, a planning commissioner and blogger for the site Friends for Fullerton's Future, who filled Jones' term, which expired December 4, 2012; Greg Sebourn, a land surveyor, who filled Bankhead's term, which also ended December 4; and attorney Doug Chaffee, who filled McKinley's term, which ended December 2, 2012. All were sworn into office in July 2012. Tony Bushala, a leading organizer of the Fullerton recall election, said he was seeking accountability for Kelly Thomas' death. The city's other two council members did not face a recall. Employment termination On July 3, 2012, Ramos' employment was terminated. According to a statement issued by Fullerton Police, Joe Wolfe was no longer employed by the department as of July 16, 2012. Jay Cicinelli was no longer employed by Fullerton Police as of July 20, 2012. , Wolfe and