Five supergraphics removed from Hollywood Boulevard

Workers have removed five supergraphics from a pair of buildings on Hollywood Boulevard that are at the center of the latest criminal sign case filed by City Atty. Carmen Trutanich.

A judge issued arrest warrants Tuesday for four people accused by Trutanich of putting up five illegal signs at 6800 Hollywood Blvd. and 6810-6820 Hollywood Blvd. The city’s sign law bans the installation of new supergraphics, or vinyl images draped across the side of a building.

Deputy City Atty. Spencer Hart said a lawyer for two of the defendants, Alexander Kouba and France Luanghy, had notified the city that the signs would come down while the criminal case was pending. Hart said the signs posed a threat to public safety because they were installed without permits or city inspections.

Kouba and Luanghy each posted $100,000 bail Thursday. A third defendant, Thomas Curtin, posted $100,000 bail Friday.

Steve Madison, an attorney for Kouba and Luanghy, said the signs were “perfectly legal and safe.”

“Given that the city attorney has taken the position that not only are they unlawful but criminal, we thought the prudent thing to do in the meantime would be to take them down,” Madison said.

By Saturday morning, all five signs had been removed. Madison said the clients, which include the billboard company known as Community Redevelopment Assn., would keep fighting the charges.

Less than a week ago, Trutanich secured the removal of an eight-story supergraphic across the street. The defendant in that case, Kayvan Setareh, spent three days in jail with bail set at $1 million before he agreed to remove the sign in exchange for having his bail reduced to $100,000. He has admitted no wrongdoing.

david.zahniser @latimes.com