Sheriff’s Captain Drops Holden Defamation Suit

A sheriff’s captain has dropped a defamation suit he filed three months ago against Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden and his son, Chris, a member of Pasadena’s City Council.

Capt. Ronnie Williams alleged in his suit that the father and son politicos falsely accused him of soliciting bribes from them. The Holdens say they were told during a meeting at the Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena that they were targets of a “hit” and could pay to make the problem go away.

At the time of the meeting, Chris Holden’s wife, Michelle, was under investigation for having sex with her 15-year-old male baby-sitter. She subsequently pleaded no contest to a single count of having sex with a minor and is on probation.

“Last time I checked, the Green Street Restaurant isn’t a substation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” quipped the Holdens’ lawyer, Mark Geragos.

In dropping his suit, Williams agreed to share the Holdens’ court costs, attorneys said.

“This is a great vindication for Nate,” said Geragos. “I’ve said all along that this thing is frivolous. This guy wound up paying for the privilege of suing Nate Holden.”

But Williams’ attorney said the case had merit and that other considerations led his client to abandon the lawsuit.

“Capt. Williams wants to get on with his life,” said L. Bishop Austin. He added that Williams’ promotion from lieutenant to captain was held up while the Holdens’ shake-down allegations were investigated.

Austin said his client has been cleared of any wrongdoing, and his promotion has gone through.

However, the dismissal of Williams’s suit does not end the litigation surrounding the sex scandal. Nate Holden’s civil rights suit against Williams is pending, as is a suit filed against Michelle and Chris Holden by the baby-sitter’s family.

At a news conference, the Holdens maintained that Williams’ suit, filed in August, was politically motivated. It was filed days before elections in Los Angeles and Pasadena.

Nate Holden retained his Los Angeles City Council seat, but his son lost the Pasadena mayor’s race.

Nate Holden said he would drop his suit if the county produces a written letter of apology on Williams’ behalf.

“Give me a letter, I’ll go away,” Nate Holden said.