Carmen Trutanich

Lawsuit Over LAPD's Videotaped Killing Of Teen Abdul Arian Tossed

It was a crazy police chase. The last breaths of 19-year-old Abdul Arian were caught on tape on April 11, 2012. He exited his unmarked, ex-police car in the middle of the 101 freeway in Woodland Hills, faced several officers, crouched and appeared to assume what cops described as a "shooting stanc ... More >>

Marijuana: L.A. Democrats Officially Support Shutting Down Most Dispensaries In Town

L.A. Democrats are getting behind a measure that would shut down most marijuana dispensaries in the city. In a statement today the local party is calling its endorsement of Measure D a "historic first" because " ... this is thought to be the first time the Los Angeles County Democratic Club has end ... More >>

Mike Feuer And Carmen Trutanich Back New Local Gun Restrictions In City Attorney Race

California already has some of the nation's most stringent gun laws. But in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, L.A. officials are pushing for new restrictions at the local level. The issue has become particularly potent in the campaign for L.A. city attorney. Today, incumbent Carm ... More >>

Mike Feuer Announces Fundraising Totals, Claims "Front-Runner Status" In City Attorney Bid

Mike Feuer, a candidate for L.A. city attorney, raised about $96,000 last quarter, bringing his total war chest to $1.2 million, his campaign announced today.Feuer is seeking to unseat incumbent Carmen Trutanich, who got a late start in fundraising due to his failed bid for district attorney. As of ... More >>

Top 10 Marijuana News Stories For 2012, LA Weekly-Style

If you like drama and marijuana together, then 2012 was the year for you: It was jam-packed with topsy-turvy cannabis news. As the Obama administration cracked down on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, the president himself said pot users in marijuana-legal states shouldn't be prosecut ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensary Ban in L.A. Officially on Hold

See also: *Medical Weed's Stay of Execution in L.A. Today was the day L.A.'s loathed ban on medical marijuana dispensaries was to start. But yesterday was the day that the L.A. City Attorney's office, long a foe of weed sellers across town, admitted that this ban ain't happening for now. Official ... More >>

USC Grad Student Sues Over a Deep L.A. Secret: Who Got Rich Off Illegal Billboards?

Armenian Assassin's Parole Pushed as Issue in D.A. Race

The case of Hampig Sassounian has been a cause celebre within the local Armenian community for nearly 30 years. In 1982, Sassounian and an accomplice assassinated the Turkish consul general, in an act of revenge for the Armenian genocide.Sassounian was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in pr ... More >>

D.A. Race: Carmen Trutanich Rakes In Cash; Jackie Lacey Picks Up Steam

Despite a slew of negative publicity, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich continues to rake in cash in the race for L.A. County district attorney, according to campaign finance reports released late on Wednesday.Trutanich has brought in $1.4 million in all, more than two-and-a-half times the total of his ... More >>

D.A. Debate: Three Prosecutors Duke, As Carmen Trutanich Ducks

​Three candidates for L.A. District Attorney debated public safety issues on Saturday afternoon. But once again, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich was not among them.Trutanich, the leading fundraiser in the race, also skipped the first debate, back in November. At the time, he was still claiming publ ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensary Workers Taken in by Powerful Labor Union UFCW

It's going to be a lot tougher for L.A. politicians to wage their war on pot shops when dispensary workers belong to the same unions that City Hall is in bed with. United Food and Commercial Workers -- and UFCW Local 770, in particular -- has decided to take medical-marijuana dispensary workers und ... More >>

Prosecutor Mario Trujillo Dropping Out of L.A. District Attorney Race

​Updated below with a statement from Trujillo. Prosecutor Mario Trujillo will soon drop out of the race for L.A. County district attorney due to health concerns, according to two sources close to the campaign.Trujillo was a serious contender for D.A. Though he had no prior political experience, he ... More >>

Pot Wars

Law Professor Laurie Levenson Will Teach Occupy L.A. First Amendment Class

​Law professor Laurie Levenson will give an hourlong lecture next week to about 30 arrestees from Occupy L.A., as part of their diversion program.The class is the result of a compromise worked out between the office of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and the National Lawyers Guild, which has been r ... More >>

Shepard Fairey Guests on 'The Simpsons' For Episode on Bart's Graffiti-Art Obsession

Fox / obeygiant.comShepard Fairey and Bart Simpson.​Forget Law & Order. It's The Simpsons that's ripped from the headlines. The show will ride the Art in the Streets zeitgeist that has hipsters popping into galleries and cops popping graffiti creators. The March 4 episode mocks the Banksy doc ... More >>

Venice Boardwalk Trinket Sales Ban

LAPD will decide what can be peddled as art

Occupy Arrestee Says City Attorney Carmen Trutanich Is "Going For The Jugular"

Carmen Trutanich: Preoccupied​Bethania Palma was one of those arrested on Saturday for "re-occupying" the lawn at L.A. City Hall. She has since pleaded no contest, and been sentenced to 18 months' probation and seven days of Caltrans duty.Palma, a former reporter at the San Gabriel Valley Newspape ... More >>

Porn Condom Battle Erupts in City Hall as Councilman Rosendahl Attempts to Block City Attorney From Stopping Voters From Deciding

FotoPhrogCity Hall is fighting for you.​When you mix porn, City Hall, and a City Council and City Attorney's office that don't seem to like each other, let alone work together, you have the makings of a juicy story. This week L.A. City Council members Bill Rosendahl and Paul Koretz filed a mo ... More >>

Chosen Few Black Biker Club's Demise?

City considers seizing a drug-riddled, violent South L.A. clubhouse

Marijuana Dispensaries Can be Snuffed Out by Cities Like L.A. Under New California Law

​Updated at the bottom with L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich's pleased reaction. First posted at 8:01 a.m. The city of L.A. has had a hard time regulating pot shops which, some have said, outnumber Starbucks in this fair town. The City Council passed a slate of rules that basically outlaw ... More >>

7 Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. Told by City Attorney to Shut Down or Face Major Fines

Up In Smoke​Seven marijuana dispensaries in L.A. were being pushed to close down after the City Attorney's office announced it has filed lawsuits against the pot shops for allegedly operating illegally. The businesses are not zoned for medical cannabis sales, the City Attorney's office argues ... More >>

How Lobbyist John Ek Gets His Way at City Hall

LAPD Headquarters Blues

How two affable restaurateurs went from PAB's pals to eviction targets

Steve Cooley Wants To Have A Big Role In Picking His Successor

Photo by Kevin ScanlonSteve Cooley​At a press conference in his office this afternoon, Steve Cooley all but ruled out running for a fourth term as district attorney.But Cooley, fresh off a narrow defeat to Kamala Harris in the race for attorney general, plans to have a big role in choosing his suc ... More >>

Citywide LAPD Ticket Shakedown

Thanks to Judge Charles McCoy, cops now testify even when they don't recall

Richard MacNaughton Draws A Bead On Eric Garcetti, Demands Trutanich Probe Coverup And Dirty Land Deal At Selma And Vine

W Hotel, short walk from "blighted" block​ UPDATE: At 12:53 pm: Why can't they be honest at City Hall? The City Council delayed their vote under public pressure, and blamed Obama. See below. UPDATE: More amazing sleaze regarding today's upcoming vote explained at CityWatch, below.Updates with ... More >>

Keith Richard Yackey, Imperial Stars' Co-Founder, 'Glad' The Band Blocked Traffic On The 101 Freeway In Hollywood

Michael Torres via TwitpicA co-founder of the Imperial Stars is glad they did this.​While folks caught in the nightmare created by the Imperial Stars' traffic-stopping stunt Tuesday were not too happy, a co-founder of the band said this week he was "glad" the act did it. "We know there are go ... More >>

City Watchdog Wendy Greuel Says $3 Million A Year Was Wasted On Worker's Compensation, Blames 'Poor Oversight' Under Former City Attorney Rock Delgadillo

CBS2A DWP worker appears to drink on the job: Let's hope there's no worker's comp to be had here.​It's possible that Los Angeles city workers file a high number of worker's compensation claims for fake injuries. But the truth is we don't know: The city only takes a closer look at about four pe ... More >>

Carmen Trutanich, L.A. City Attorney, Wins Billboard Crackdown Ruling From U.S. Judge Audrey Collins: They Ain't Free Speech

Don't stand here during a quake​Reason to cheer the departure of Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo: Carmen Trutanich, his replacement, won another courtroom victory against the 11,000 billboards slathered all over sad-sack L.A -- up to 4,000 of them illegally installed without an eart ... More >>

Activist's Harsh Words For City Attorney Delivered Hours Before Pot Shop Was Raided

​A Los Angeles police raid of a Venice medical marijuana dispensary last week, at a time when the city of L.A. has stated it will hold off on pot-shop enforcement, happened on a day when a City Hall activist happened to have been badmouthing the City Attorney on the issue via web radio. Zuma ... More >>

LAX Concession Fight Continues Today; Contracting Wars Explained

​This morning the weirdly named Board of Referred Powers, which is a special L.A. City Council committee, will meet to discuss what has become a strangely controversial issue -- airport food. In short, everyone agrees the food is lousy (beating only -- yuck -- Newark's in one recent 18-city ... More >>

Janice Hahn Concerned About Conflicts On LAX Concession Contract

Janice Hahn: concerned and conflicted​The Board of Referred Powers, the L.A. City Council body charged with ruling on the lucrative LAX concessions contract, held just its second meeting in as many months yesterday.Not much got done, but Councilwoman Janice Hahn did say she was concerned about new ... More >>

City Attorney Drops Investigation Of Staples Center After It Kicks In Cash For Michael Jackson's Memorial

​Following Anschutz Entertainment Group's announcement that it would give $1 million to the city (and $300 to the L.A. Police Foundation) to defray the city's costs related to last year's Michael Jackson memorial show at its Staples Center venue, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office stated t ... More >>

Jane Usher: Neighborhood Blight Fighter

Gang Injunction Targets Drug Dealing In Skid Row

The Row.​City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, with the help of District Attorney Steve Cooley, announced a city gang injunction in Skid Row Wednesday. The filing by the City Attorney's Gang Division prohibits about 80 gang members from throughout the county from coming to Skid Row to sell drugs. " ... More >>

Runaway Teens

L.A. City Attorney Targets Overdue Taxes, Gets $1.5 Million For L.A.

​As the city struggles to make ends meet -- cops need to be hired, city workers will likely be fired, and fire companies are already going on daylong hiatuses to save money -- it's been hard to find a hero at City Hall. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took off for Europe this month, at the taxpayer ... More >>

MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

Along with Mr. Gold and Mr. Garber.

City Attorney Hospitalized, Offered Medical Marijuana To Ease Pain

I'm tall, I'm tall.​Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has been hospitalized since the weekend after he reported experiencing abdominal pain. The City Council, which has been at odds with Trutanich over his stance that a vast majority of medical marijuana dispensaries in town are illeg ... More >>

L.A.'s Medical-Weed Wars

How the potheads outwitted Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. City Council

Mayor (Finally) Takes Stand Against Pot Sales

Mayor V.​As the City Council worked out a compromise to come up with an pot-shop ordinance that they and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich can agree on, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took a stance against the kind of over-the-counter medical marijuana sales that that mark the city's several hundred ... More >>

D.A. Defies L.A. City Leaders, Vows To Prosecute Pot Sellers

The Los Angeles County District Attorney on Tuesday defied the Los Angeles City Council leaders who pushed for a new marijuana dispensary ordinance that would allow cash, over-the-counter sales of pot.​ "The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will continue to prosecute dispensary o ... More >>

City Council Votes for Permanent Ban on Digital Billboards

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to ban all digital billboards in the city, an action brought before them by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who feared that an existing "Interim Control Ordinance" that temporarily bans digital billboards and super-graphics may soon be found inval ... More >>

City Council Postpones Controversial Billboard Vote

The Los Angeles City Council postponed a vote on a sweeping billboard law that would ban digital billboards and giant supergraphics, but allow them in specially designated "sign districts." Facing a barrage of criticism from anti-clutter activists and business leaders, council members agreed to hol ... More >>

California's May 19 Election

Schwarzenegger, Villaraigosa, Weiss, Bratton, Bass, all repudiated

May 19 Election: Schwarzenegger, Villaraigosa, Weiss, Bratton, Bass, Go Down in Flames

Even with one key Los Angeles City Council District race still hanging in the balance on the Westside, the political wreckage surrounding some of California's best-known politicians was waist-deep, leaving Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to slog through the recriminatio ... More >>

Bill Bratton's Endorsements Spectacle

The LAPD chief's politicking has critics fearing a slide to the bad old days

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

DWP Ordered to Refund Customers A Superior Court judge has ordered the DWP to pay back $30 million in fees it channeled into cash-strapped city agencies. L.A. TimesBenefits Take a Holiday Employees of papers belonging to the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (Daily News, Daily Breeze, et al) have been tol ... More >>

Early election results: Los Angeles March 3, 2009 primary

Nobody is ever sure how closely absentee voters match the views of the voters who actually trek into the polls, but here is the first wave of election returns released by the City of Los Angeles elections division about 45 minutes after the polls closed tonight.In the four hottest races, top percent ... More >>