Talks Falter in King’s Civil Case Against City

Attorneys for Rodney G. King and the city of Los Angeles said Friday that settlement talks in King’s lawsuit against the city have made no headway, and they now place little hope in averting a third trial over the police beating.

“We haven’t made any progress,” said Milton Grimes, the lawyer for King. “It looks like we’re going to have to prepare for trial.”

Only last month, Grimes and Deputy City Atty. Don Vincent had said they were optimistic about reaching an agreement that would prevent the case from going to trial. U.S. District Judge John G. Davies agreed to keep some aspects of the case on hold while Grimes and Vincent negotiated.

But talks during the past month have run aground, Grimes and Vincent agreed. Although neither lawyer would say what caused the change of mood, the two sides appear to be far apart. King, who was on probation for robbery, was arrested last month on charges that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. As a result, state corrections officials ordered him into a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. King also has been charged with misdemeanor drunk driving by the city attorney’s office.

Some analysts have speculated that King’s continuing run-ins with authorities could hurt his chances of winning a large settlement. Grimes said he did not believe the recent arrest was responsible for the standoff.

If the two sides cannot settle the case, it is scheduled to go to trial March 12. That would make it the third trial to grow out of the March 3, 1991, police beating.

Four LAPD officers were found not guilty in state court on April 29, 1992, verdicts that touched off three days of deadly rioting in Los Angeles. All four were then indicted by the federal government and two, Sgt. Stacey C. Koon and Officer Laurence M. Powell, were convicted April 17.