FIRST OFF . . .

Union official Allen Price and some other executives from the Affiliated Property Craftspersons Local 44 angrily walked out of an International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees closed hearing Tuesday, calling the parent union’s investigation into allegations of misconduct by some local officials “a kangaroo court.” The hearing at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City was called to examine claims of misconduct by some officers of the craft union, Hollywood’s largest. Among the claims: that some officials ran the local in a “dictatorial manner” and spent unauthorized and improperly accounted-for funds. According to Price’s attorney, the alliance on Tuesday declined to provide the Local 44 officials with a list of about 35 witnesses and would not let them have a lawyer present. “I thought it was a hearing, not a trial,” said Price, who left the hearing after an hour. An alliance spokesman said the proceeding would continue without the Local 44 officials and that a decision could be reached as early as today. If it is unfavorable, Price and the others could be forced to relinquish control of Local 44 to the alliance. The parent union froze the local’s bank account last week and issued a “declaration of emergency” over the situation.