Results tagged “lawsuit”

Remember last when in 2007 a major LAUSD computer glitch caused thousands of teachers to go without a paycheck while other teachers, including former ones six feet under, got paid extra? That's all fixed now, but the school district is still seeking $9.4 million from 2,400 current and former employees.

One lawsuit won, some 20 to go. A federal judge sided with Los Angeles in the never-ending battle over billboards this week. It was one of the three lawsuits filed by World Wide Rush, which "argued that it had a right to erect new signs or supergraphics because it requested permits during a four-month period in late 2008" when no ban was in effect, explained the LA Times. "Under the company’s logic, their applications were wrongly denied — therefore they should have a right to put up new supergraphics or signs now even though the city has a ban in place." But Judge Audrey B. Collins said companies can't install signs if no permits were issues. And in any case, it was unclear if the city had actually denied the permits.

This is local government at its finest, folks. Last year when then-City Countroller Laura Chick tried to audit then-City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, a lawsuit against Chick was brought forth. At issue? Chick wanted to audit the City Attorney's workers compensation program, but Delgadillo balked, throwing a lawsuit in the way. More broadly, the question being asked in the lawsuit, does the elected City Controller have the power to audit another elected official?

When the city tried to regulate digital billboards earlier this decade, the advertising industry brought on the lawsuits. Out of one big cases, CBS Corp.'s Outdoor division and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. landed a major settlement in 2006: 800 billboards could be converted into digital ones.

Los Angeles-based artist Shepard Fairey might be left with only his "hope" when it comes to the suit and counter-suit battles being waged in court right now regarding his iconic adaptation of a photograph of Barack Obama for use in his 2008 Presidential campaign.

Foes of gay marriage tried to get a U.S. District Judge to dismiss a case against Proposition 8, a voter-approved initiative that reinstated a ban on gay marriage last November. As expected, Judge Vaughn Walker denied the motion, which means a court case could begin as early as January, according to the LA Weekly.

It was January 26th, 2005 when Juan Alvarez parked his gasoline-drenched Jeep Cherokee on train tracks in Glendale. He said it was an attempt to commit suicide before he changed his mind the last minute. He jumped out of the way before "a fast-moving Metrolink train struck the SUV, derailed and struck a parked Union Pacific locomotive before colliding with another Metrolink train traveling in the other direction," as the Associated Press describes. 11 people died and 180 were injured. Alverez was convicted of murder last year.

When bad things happen to good people, the arm of the law must be raised in a fist and shaken hard! Such is the case when bad frozen yogurt-makers make fake frozen yogurt in a dirty way. Say what? Okay, so we're paraphrasing the press release that caused a collective gasp in the local foodie scene: Yogurtland has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit which alleges that they are being a bit shady when it comes to how they name, make, and serve their "frozen yogurt." Here's the scoop:

Last year, then-City Controller Laura Chick wanted to do a performance audit on then-City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's office. Delgadillo successfully blocked it with a court order, but the fall out over private attorney fees for Chick, totalling $200,000, has lingered. The most recent tentative court ruling was pushed yesterday another month so Greuel and Trutanich can work things out.

Oh look, the squares at the Burbank Police Department are being investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after seven members of the force, current and former, have filed lawsuits regarding human resource issues, sexual harassment and racial discrimination. The latest lawsuit filing comes from a captain who says he was demoted after pushing for an internal investigation on other officers' misconduct.

Nearly two months into a ban on new digital billboards and supergraphics, a judge sided with the city of Los Angeles after one advertising company challenged the law. Liberty Media said exceptions had been granted in the past and that City Council had violated state law dictating open meetings. U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins said "none of theese claims have merit" in her tentative decision.

A lawsuit that was delaying the prospect of a National Football League stadium in the city of Industry--some 26 miles east of downtown Los Angeles--was dropped last night by the neighboring city of Walnut in exchange for a number of concessions. Last April, Industry and the city of Diamond Bar settled their lawsuit.

Attorney Jerry Brown tomorrow plans to announce a lawsuit filing against "a Los Angeles based investment adviser who directed hundreds of millions of dollars in clients' investments to Bernard Madoff, while actively concealing the link between the two," according to an advisory. "For decades, this investment adviser claimed to use a proprietary strategy to generate 20 to 25 percent returns. In reality, the high returns were a product of Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme. For his so-called investment expertise, the adviser pocketed over $270 million in fees, charging investors 25 percent fees on profits."

Former reigning beauty queen "Carrie Prejean has filed a lawsuit against Miss California USA officials who stripped her of her title, accusing them of libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage," according to CNN.

A state legislator is suing the Governor over budget cuts and so is everyone else, it seems. Today, you can add AIDS Project Los Angeles to the list. They contend that Schwarzenegger went beyond his authority by cutting $85 million from HIV/AIDS programs. Citing the state's Legislative Counsel Bureau, the APLA says Schwarzenegger was only allowed to make budget cuts to original budget appropriations, not to a bill passed last February. “In exceeding his power, the governor has singlehandedly dismantled a critical array of programs that protect the health of all Californians -- programs that ultimately save the state from far more catastrophic spending,” APLA Director Craig E. Thompson said. “The effects will be nothing short of devastating.” Los Angeles County has the second largest AIDS epidemic in the country and 7,000 people statewide are estimated to become HIV positive. A rally will be held at Pershing Square in downtown tonight at 7 p.m. followed by a short march to the Reagan State Office Building on Spring Street. 2,000 demonstrators are expected.

The music industry has never been the savviest when it came to the internet and its possibilities. Suing kids, grandmas and college students left and right. But when the latest, happiest and most popular YouTube video with a Chris Brown song became a hit last week, they profited instead of becoming another lawsuit headline.

When City Attorney Carmen Trutanich sat down with the L.A. City Council a couple weeks ago, he said his investigators found both "civil and criminal aspects" in their research that could lead to potential lawsuits. He would not discuss details publicly, but did go into a private session to talk about the civil aspects.

Remember that video of the car chase where the driver fled from the car, prompting a short foot chase where it ended with him surrendering, laying on the ground face down and then being kicked in the head by an officer in El Monte (If you don't, the video is embedded below)? Now he's suing for $5 million and his lawyer, a former Los Angeles City Councilman is advising him to change his looks for court.

While it's all high fives in Sacramento, it's stress in the city and county halls of across the state. A big part of the state's budget solution is on the backs of local governments, raiding their funds and only sometimes with a plan of paying them back years later. In the LA Times, the budget proposal from Monday night was likened to a “ponzi scheme that passes off responsibility to future governors, legislators and to our taxpayers" by Judy Mitchell, mayor of Rolling Hills Estates and president of the League of California Cities.

No, she won't just go away: Nadya Suleman, aka OctoMom, is keeping her name in the press thanks to a pair of lawsuits going on in Orange County regarding her children and their being filmed. "A child-labor activist has filed suit against Suleman in Orange County Superior Court, alleging that video shot of her children violates a law aimed at protecting child entertainers from overwork. The suit seeks to create an independent trust for the children," LA Now reports.

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich announced this afternoon in a session of City Council that his investigation into tax payer money being used for the Michael Jackson Memorial has revealed "civil and criminal aspects." He would not speak publicly about details, including a lawsuit's target, but offered to go into closed session about the civil aspects. City Council agreed and went to the back chambers to discuss at 12:30 p.m. As this publishing, they are still in closed session.

A report released yesterday ranked Los Angeles number one out of 273 cities for the treatment of homeless populations. "Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities" by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless highlights the Safer Cities Initiative--which has spent $6 million on extra police in Skid Row--as a program that traps homeless in the criminal justice system rather than housing.

A personal injury lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against former USC football assistant Dave Watson, as well as the university and a local auto dealership. The plaintiff, Alaric Valentin, was a passenger in a vehicle struck by Watson's car on May 17, 2008. Watson was arrested at the time on suspicion of driving under the influence. The suit alleges that he had taken as many as seven Vicodin and several Soma pills. Valentin's attorney believes the damages (ranging from medical bills to pain and suffering) could run more than $500,000 -- far exceeding the insurance coverage on the accident.

The tragic March 2008 murder of 17-year-old high school football standout Jamiel Shaw made national headlines, and led to a movement to get legislation on the books that would grant "Los Angeles police officers the right to arrest undocumented gang members before they commit crimes," according to cbs2. But "Jamiel's Law" and its supporters "did not obtain enough signatures to place the measure on the May city election ballot."

In a closed-session meeting yesterday, the LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to file suit against the teachers' union, UTLA, charging that their planned May 15th "work stoppage" is "unfair labor practice," reports abc7.

A 37-year-old Torrance man has been arrested in Phoenix and charged with "contract[ing] out a hit to have a 32-year-old woman killed, as well as a 62-year-old male victim seriously injured," according to XBIZ. The accused is David Elms, who has been called a "as a sex-industry mogul," in the Daily Breeze, and the alleged female target a Long Beach resident who works "as an online adult model and escort."

After deferring a $150 million payment to Los Angeles County, the Board of Supervisors has voted to take California's controller, John Chiang, to court. The payment was withheld because of the ongoing budget crisis; the Board, however, calls the deferment unconstitutional and says the revenue the state owes the county is badly needed," abc7.com is reporting. Los Angeles is not the first, or only county in California to sue the state and the controller. San Bernardino County's Board of Supervisors also voted to sue when a $204 million payment needed for welfare and other programs was deferred this month. Other lawsuits are coming from San Diego, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Valley, too.

So is this why my health insurance with them has increased again... for the fourth time in two years? Nevertheless, it's a good thing for the people who are getting payback. "Anthem Blue Cross, the state's largest for-profit health insurer, has agreed to pay a $1-million fine and offer new coverage -- no questions asked -- to 2,330 people it dropped after they submitted bills for expensive medical care," reports the LA Times this morning. "The settlement follows Anthem's agreement last year to pay a $10-million fine to settle similar charges involving 1,770 members in HMO-type policies overseen by the Department of Managed Health Care, another state regulator."

First the Associated Press threatened to sue artist Shepard Fairey by tomorrow. Now Fairey is beating them to the punch. Today he filed suit against the news agency to vindicate him from accusations that he violated copyright laws.

Remember this angering video where a local video blogger documented the 2007 Immigration March that went from happy and free-spirited to LAPD officers terrorizing everyone by spraying rubber bullets into the crowds and taking batons to reporters? Today, the LA City Council approved $12.85 million to settle nine lawsuits against the city, but that's not the end of it as there were 27 lawsuits. Also, this not the only recent LAPD settlement the LA Times reports: "The settlement of the May Day cases comes on the heels of the council’s approval last week of a $20.5-million payout to four current and former police officers who claimed they were falsely arrested and mistreated in the wake of the scandal involving the police department's Rampart Division."