VILLA PARK

The City Council unanimously voted to support an amicus brief that was submitted in a court case involving a liability suit against Los Angeles County.

In Zelig vs. County of Los Angeles, the plaintiffs--a slain woman’s heirs--sued after a man shot and killed Mrs. Zelig. The suit sought to hold the county liable because the county did not use a metal detector to screen people entering the courthouse. The trial court held the county was not liable, but an appellate decision ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, stating that Mrs. Zelig’s heir could sue the county for negligence and dangerous condition liability. The amicus brief states that governmental public entities should not be liable for crimes that occur on public property.