An Orange County judge handed Westminster Councilmember Amy Phan West a complete legal victory on Wednesday, rejecting the District Attorney's last-minute attempt to reopen her case and rejecting every accusation in the prosecution's brief.

Judge Sherri Honer cleared Phan West of any wrongdoing after concluding the evidence presented by Deputy District Attorney Matt Bradbury did not prove she had broken any laws. The ruling ends a politically charged legal battle that stretched over a year.

The DA Tried to Reopen the Case. The Judge Said No.

Phan West had been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly using her position as an elected official to persuade parking officers not to tow her husband's car. Rather than go to trial, she agreed to complete an ethics training course and 20 hours of community service. In exchange, the charge would be dropped and her record cleared.

Just before Phan West was set to complete her year under court supervision, the Orange County District Attorney's Office moved to revoke the deal. Deputy DA Bradbury alleged she had continued to violate ethics rules — including using her city council office for a campaign media interview and distributing campaign literature at the Tet parade.

Judge Honer rejected every argument. On one of the more pointed accusations — that Phan West compared her legal situation to the prosecutions targeting former President Donald Trump — the judge was direct.

"People express dissatisfaction with the court all the time," Honer said. "That's not an ethical violation."

Six Points. A Westminster Activist. Zero Convictions.

The DA's brief was built around six points drawn from a memo written by Westminster activist Terry Raines — a vocal Phan West critic known in local political circles for wearing a sign reading "twatwaffle" around her neck at city council meetings.

Judge Honer worked through each point and found them collectively insufficient. Some provided no supporting evidence. Others were factually inaccurate. Several involved statements or conduct that fell squarely within the protections of free speech and could not form the basis for an ethics violation.

The pattern held across all six: the DA brought accusations built on an activist's memo, and the judge threw them out.

Outside the Courthouse

When the ruling came down, Phan West's husband — seated in the courtroom with the couple's three sons — wiped away tears. Her youngest son called out: "Thank you, judge."

Outside, Phan West credited her faith in God for carrying her through the year. She also named what she believes was the real motivation behind the prosecution.

"I don't know why they don't like me," she said, "but I believe I'm fighting for everyone who wants to have a voice to speak out even though people don't agree with them."