L.A. might sue Occupy L.A. protesters for financial damages

[The Straight Story]

L.A. might sue Occupy L.A. protesters for financial damages

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich is considering a lawsuit against Occupy L.A. protesters to reimburse the city for damage caused during the occupation of the CIty Hall lawn.

"The city is contemplating any and all of its options," said William Carter, Trutanich's chief deputy.

The two-month encampment cost the city at least $2.35 million, not counting repairs to the lawn and fountain outside City Hall, according to a report issued Friday.

Much of that cost -- more than $1.7 million -- will be added to the growing pool of red ink in this year's city budget. The Occupy bills will increase an anticipated $72-million shortfall over the next six months, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said.

"In isolation, the cost is manageable. But in the context of a $72-million problem, it only made our challenge bigger," said Santana, the city's top budget analyst.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/occupy-la-lawsuit-financial-damages.html

[randome]

1. If they let the protesters stay there for two months, how can they blame the protesters?

'Contemplating', in this context, doesn't mean much, I think.

[coalition_unwilling]

2. After LA gets done settling all the civil rights violation lawsuits it will face and

litigating the costs of all the trials for the 300+ poltiical prisoners, the $2.35 million it has already incurred ($700,000 of which came directly from Mayor Villain's decision to bust up the camp) will seem like a drop in the proverbial bucket.

There's no way any jury in LA is going to find in favor of the city and against OLA. Unless LA gets a change of venue to some place like Simi Valley (for you youngsters, an allusion to the all-white suburban enclave to where the first Rodney King abuse by LAPD trial was moved).

[tblue]

3. WHO could they sue?

There's no formal organization. Who would they serve it to? Silly city!

[Hardrada]

4. The same problem Walker has in Wisconsin

There is no address to send the bill to!

[tblue]

6. HAHAHAHA!!!

That is the beauty of Occupy.

[Generic Other]

5. First they ignore you then they pepper spray you and then they sue you

Only the nonviolent anti-establishment homeless activists have no money! And what they do have goes to student loan payments first. Get in line city f'ers--I mean fathers.

[pinboy3niner]

7. L.A. City Hall: Inept or Criminal?

Source: occupyla.org

Fri, 12/23/2011 - 8:18pm



by PJ Davenport


L.A. has a 72 million dollar budget shortfall. They have a short fall every year. Wait till you see the sh*t hit the fan in 2012. L.A.’s projected budget deficit for the year beginning July 1, 2012 is about $250 million, while the cumulative budget deficit over the next four years is approaching $1 Billion. One of two things is true, L.A. City Hall is either inept or criminal. No one is that bad at balancing the books and now we are supposed to overlook the bigger issue and focus on the negative press they have drummed up regarding the cost of Occupy LA. No need to take a long stroll, just a short skip down memory lane and we'll return to the present momentarily.


Flashback... In 2009 the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship parade cost the city in upwards of $1 million dollars. The same year (Michael Jackson) memorial events, cost the city of L.A. $1.4 million dollars. Council woman Perry said the cost of police protection for "extraordinary" events like the memorial is built into the Police Department's budget.

...


http://occupylosangeles.org/?q=node/3267

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Ha! Fucking hypocrites, of course.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Of course the city attorney knows the case law

that ha already established that you cannot do that... RIGHT?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. This reminds me of the client who wanted to sue a vagrant who smashed his windsheild

What do you want? The sheriff to seize the contents of her shopping cart?

[Hardrada]

11. Or kidnapping a junkie.

[pinboy3niner]

14. LAPD seizes property of homeless people all the time

They follow the city's time-honored legal precedent, "You Snooze, You Lose."

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

19. I don't think auctioning off the junk in a shopping cart would settle a court judgement.

[U4ikLefty]

12. That POS City Atty. Carmen Trutanich knows this has no legs. He is trying to score PR points.

Last edited Sun Dec 25, 2011, 08:18 AM - Edit history (1)

Trying to pit the "taxpayer" against the Occupy LA movement. Stroking the meme "why should I have to pay for their hippie asses to camp out?!?"

We must prepare ourselves for this kind of BS from the PTB. Divide & conquer is their #1.

Solidarity

[cherokeeprogressive]

16. Carmen's a man. n/t

[U4ikLefty]

20. Corrected, are you happy Cherokee?

Really?

BTW, got any opinion or are you just content to sit by & correct?

[Iggo]

24. "Thanks, cherokee. I didn't realize that Carmen was a man. I'm used to that being a woman's name."

There. I fixed it for you.

Merry Christmas.

[MMJjestic]

13. Now why didn't Montgomery Alabama think about that when

Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King began their protests? Or maybe King George III when the patriots pour tea into the harbor. Or maybe Richard Dailey back at the 68 convention. Perhaps the money spent by LA will be better served by a class in the teaching of the Constitution for LAPD and Public officials

[Fire Walk With Me]

15. Very interesting related story, will make it into an OP:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/11/councilman-trutanich-wants-to-silence-civil-disobedience/

Councilman: Trutanich Wants To Silence Civil Disobedience

February 2011 (goes to motive)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Los Angeles city attorney Carmen Trutanich is coming down hard on political protesters, seeking jail time as much as up to one year behind bars for demonstrations he says costs the city big bucks.

But as KNX 1070′s Bill Cooper reports, city councilman Ed Reyes says Trutanich is attacking a practice that dates all the way back to the American Revolution.

Previous prosecutors have treated many of these cases as infractions, but Trutanich argues that the protesters he’s targeting should face consequences for not having the proper permits, disrupting traffic, and costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.

[greytdemocrat]

17. Not that I'm a Occupy Supporter...

But this seems like a stupid waste of time.

[Fredge]

18. lmfao

Yeah, why not bill the people who have no money to begin with? That'll help.

[The Straight Story]

21. Who says they did not have money? Plenty had jobs - did we say the same about the tea party?

Why do people think when those on the left protest they don't have work?

Some don't to be sure, others took vacation time, sick days, protested when not at work, and so on.

[bemildred]

22. Bring it on! Media circuses until hte end of time. nt

[Zorra]

23. Duh. The suit would probably cost even more than the damages, and there is little or no possibility

of ever recouping the losses.

The protesters would get free legal representation that would drag court proceedings on endlessly.

LA would end up with expenses much greater than the original amount sought, with no discernible way to ever recoup any of the money.

Keep on contemplating, LA.

[Fire Walk With Me]

25. Vancouver cops are claiming huge damages

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/12/19/occupy-vancouver-costs-nearly-1-million/

However, an actual #Vancouver Occupier posted to #OLA: "in Occupy Vancouver, we were camped on bark mulch, but morons from miles away lamented the loss & damage to the grass that they never set foot on and said they would not dare bring families in from the suburbs to sit by the art gallery fountain (in late November, winter weather??)"

The "grass" at Los Angeles "city hall" was as far as I know not anything to strike pride, it was supposedly mostly dirt -before- the protesters came. Nothing I've seen there in person would cause me to contradict this.