Council Rejects Settlement of Zinzun Lawsuit

A proposed $450,000 settlement of a lawsuit by a political activist who accused a high-ranking Los Angeles police official of using a department computer to circulate information against him during a Pasadena election campaign was rejected Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

The suit, filed by former Black Panther Party leader Michael Zinzun, alleges that Assistant Police Chief Robert L. Vernon violated Zinzun’s civil rights and discredited his 1989 campaign for a seat on the Pasadena Board of Directors by making sensitive police files available to the candidate’s political critics.

The files were taken from a computer in the department’s Anti-Terrorist Division. Vernon claimed that the 156 documents, including newspaper and magazine articles, were unclassified, said Zinzun’s attorney, Dan Stormer.

In announcing their decision Tuesday, several council members questioned the wisdom of paying the $450,000, recommended by the city attorney’s office, to settle a case involving distribution of public documents.

The lawmakers said they would prefer the matter be decided by a jury. Their decision, reached in closed session, clears the way for a trial scheduled in Superior Court today.

“The public interest is best served if this goes to trial and the facts are aired in public,” Councilman Zev Yaroslavksy said. “Then we can let the chips fall where they may.”

Councilman Michael Woo agreed, saying it would be the best way to hold accountable those who are responsible.

“A trial will provide for a full examination of the charges and will enable a jury to decide if there was any improper use of authority,” said Woo, the only council member to call for Police Chief Daryl F. Gates to resign in light of the March 3 police beating of motorist Rodney G. King.

Councilman Robert Farrell said the Zinzun case raises questions about the disciplinary practices of Gates, also a defendant in the suit. After the incident became public, Gates gave Vernon--the department’s second-in-command--an oral reprimand and asked him to pay for the computer time.

“If a guy (Gates) can’t discipline an assistant chief for going into the police intelligence files, what is he willing to discipline him for?” Farrell said. “Gates is blowing it; that is what the commission is going to look at.”

Stormer accused the council of using the settlement rejection to send a message to Gates.

“There are two agendas at work here, and neither one is particularly healthy,” the attorney said. “One is the council seems to want to protect the chief at any cost and the other is to use this lawsuit as a mechanism to put pressure on the chief.”

Stormer criticized the Police Department for “abusing its authority” by interfering with an election.

“Letting the chips fall where they may is not a very responsible approach to government,” the attorney said. “In fact it is just the opposite.”

Zinzun eventually lost the 1989 election for the post--which is similar to a city council seat--to Chris Holden, son of Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, a strong supporter of the police.

Nate Holden did not vote on the settlement issue Tuesday.