COSTA MESA, Calif.—A judge tentatively ruled against allegations that Orange County Board of Education Trustee Tim Shaw was illegally appointed to his vacant seat. The tentative ruling from Superior Court Judge Martha Gooding arrived on March 4—three days prior to the hearing on March 7—giving the prosecution and defense time to formalize their arguments and sway the judge’s decision. While a final decision was not made on Monday, the ruling is expected soon, according to Gooding, but the date was not clear. The legal challenge was filed in Orange County Superior Court on Jan. 28 by local resident Michael Sean Wright, alleging Shaw shouldn’t have been reappointed to his former seat on the school board due to a state law that says, “the local board may not re-appoint to the office the person whose resignation caused the vacancy in the first place,” according to the lawsuit. Shaw resigned from the …