City to Settle Defamation Suit for $1.1 Million

Meeting in closed session, the City Council voted 9 to 1 Wednesday to pay four men and two of their spouses $1.1 million to settle a federal defamation case stemming from their arrest by police in May 1997.

City attorneys recommended the settlement, saying a loss in court could cost the city up to $5 million.

The case, filed against the city and claiming defamation and civil rights violations, arose from statements made by police officials when the men were arrested. In comments during a news conference and in the days following the arrests, police officials called the men militia members, saying they were planning to massacre illegal immigrants along the border and that they had numerous subversive terrorist plots and plans.

Acting on a motion by Councilman Richard Alatorre, the council voted to require the Los Angeles Police Department to train all spokesmen and media relations officers in defamation laws and how to best minimize the city’s liability for written or oral statements made by department personnel. Councilman Joel Wachs cast the only dissenting vote on the settlement.

The men were charged with gun possession offenses; one, Glenn Yee of San Dimas, is serving an 18-month sentence. The other men involved in the case are Alvin Ung of Ontario, who is awaiting trial in San Bernardino, and Mark Grand and Timothy Swanson, both of Los Angeles, who were charged with misdemeanor gun offenses.