Simmons Drops Suit Against Hermosa Beach for the Moment

Former Hermosa Beach Fire Chief Ronald Simmons has temporarily dropped his $6.2-million lawsuit against the city and City Manager Gregory T. Meyer for technical reasons.

Simmons’ attorney, Stephen M. Garcia, said the lawsuit will be refiled and may include one to three additional defendants.

Simmons filed the lawsuit in June, claiming that Meyer was responsible for his being charged with insurance fraud and grand theft last October.

The charges, which were later dropped, were filed by the district attorney’s office and claimed that Simmons had improperly enrolled his wife on the city’s insurance policy.

Acted on Instructions

In dropping the charges, the district attorney’s office agreed that Simmons had acted on the instructions of another city official. Simmons’ suit claims that the official was Meyer.

Meyer has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Garcia said he will ask the Torrance Superior Court, where the lawsuit was filed, for permission to sue the city and Meyer before refiling the suit.

State law says that before a suit can be filed against a city, a claim must be filed within 100 days of the alleged injury. Simmons’ claim did not meet the 100-day requirement, so court permission is needed before he can file a suit.

Garcia said getting the court permission is only a technicality.

City Atty. James Lough disagreed, saying, “I don’t think it will be successful because the claim is very stale and . . . the court doesn’t accept claims this stale.”