Candidates Spar Over L.A.’s Lawsuit Payouts

Four candidates for Los Angeles city attorney tussled verbally Friday over who can best bring the city’s skyrocketing payouts in lawsuits under control.

At a forum sponsored by San Fernando Valley business leaders, the city’s $125 million in possible payouts for claims and lawsuits stemming from the Rampart police scandal was at the center of the discussion.

Candidates Lea Purwin D’Agostino and Frank Tavelman, both county prosecutors, blamed city leaders, including the two other candidates, Councilman Mike Feuer and Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo.

Tavelman said the Rampart police scandal did not happen overnight, and could have been prevented if city leaders had more quickly implemented police reforms, including a computerized system to track officer misbehavior that was held up in the City Council.

“This was a consistent neglect of our city leaders in not implementing the Christopher Commission reforms,” Tavelman said.

D’Agostino referred to Feuer and Delgadillo as “two people who are part of the status quo,” during the forum at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City by the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. The four are competing in the April 10 election.

In response, Delgadillo said it was “unfair” to blame him for the city’s handling of police reform because he was specifically assigned by Mayor Richard Riordan to handle economic development issues.

Delgadillo said he would play an active role as city attorney in making sure police problems are addressed, noting he has the endorsement of Warren Christopher, who headed the Christopher Commission.

“I do think the city attorney can play a leadership role in police reform,” Delgadillo said.

If the city can cut its liabilities by a third, it will save enough money to do away with an unpopular city business tax, Delgadillo told the business leaders.

Feuer said his work on the council and with Bet Tzedek Legal Services gives him the experience to reduce payouts in lawsuits through better risk management, including police reform.

“The city attorney has to sit at the side of the Police Department and make sure reforms stick,” Feuer said.

D’Agostino said city leaders have too often in the past “rolled over and settled” cases that might have been won.

“I didn’t get my nickname, ‘the Dragonlady,’ for nothing,” she said. “I got it because I’m tough in court.”

Delgadillo complained that a development agreement for the TrizecHahn commercial and office project in Hollywood has still not been approved by the city attorney, even though construction on the city-subsidized project began months ago.

“On a lot of transactions I’ve worked on, when a document goes to the city attorney it’s a black hole. We lose it,” Delgadillo said.

A spokesman for the city attorney’s office said the developer submitted the development agreement to the city Dec. 14 but has not yet responded to concerns that it contains provisions on street closures that conflict with state law.