Police Commission Asks for Private Attorney

Opening the curtain on what promises to be a contentious fight over renewing Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams’ contract next spring, a City Council panel will consider today whether to hire a private attorney to counsel the Police Commission.

Police Commission President Raymond C. Fisher said the request for a contract of up to $75,000 with the Santa Monica law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker is routine, and the commission simply wants independent guidance on how to proceed.

But several City Hall insiders believe that the move foreshadows the commission’s intention to force Williams out at the end of his first five-year term, and that commissioners want a lawyer because they think the chief is likely to sue the city.

Vague wording of an item on today’s Budget and Finance Committee agenda only fueled speculation. “The committee will meet in closed session with the city attorney . . . to discuss significant exposure to litigation (one case),” the item said. Typically, closed-session items specify the nature of the case and the matter for discussion.

Under a new system for governing the LAPD, the chief is appointed for a five-year term and is eligible for one five-year renewal. The Police Commission controls the contract, but the chief can appeal the commission’s decision to the City Council. Williams is the first to serve under this system.

“I think there’s a desire on the commission to do everything it can to cross the Ts and dot the I’s,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee. “We need to make sure our Police Commission has the expert, outside, independent legal advice to make sure this whole thing is handled properly.”

But Councilman Nate Holden, Williams’ strongest ally, said the commission’s request is “most inappropriate.”

“If they’re hiring an attorney, they must be trying to figure out how to get rid of the guy,” Holden said. “They’re trying to embarrass him, to make the situation here untenable.”

Williams said he had no knowledge of the request and declined to comment further.