L.A. might sue Occupy L.A. protesters for financial damages

[Rockntractor]

Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich is considering a lawsuit against Occupy L.A. protesters to reimburse the city for damage caused during the occupation of the City Hall lawn.

"The city is contemplating any and all of its options," said William Carter, Trutanich's chief deputy.

The two-month encampment cost the city at least $2.35 million, not counting repairs to the lawn and fountain outside City Hall, according to a report issued Friday.

Much of that cost -- more than $1.7 million -- will be added to the growing pool of red ink in this year's city budget. The Occupy bills will increase an anticipated $72-million shortfall over the next six months, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said.

"In isolation, the cost is manageable. But in the context of a $72-million problem, it only made our challenge bigger," said Santana, the city's top budget analyst.

The Los Angeles Police Department, which raided the camp Nov. 30 and arrested nearly 300 people, spent an estimated $1.2 million on overtime pay as a result of the demonstration and subsequent sweep, Santana said in his preliminary report. The General Services Department's police force, which patrols city parks and buildings, racked up an additional $335,000 of overtime.

Carlos Marroquin, a representative of Occupy L.A., called the figures "outrageous" and argued that the city should have set aside money for special events and protests. He accused city leaders of trying to make the Occupy movement a scapegoat and described the intense police response, which involved 1,400 officers, as unnecessary.

"This was a peaceful movement," he said. "They're the ones that decided to use that amount of police, that amount of force."

-- David Zahniser

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...l-damages.html
There won't be any lawsuit.

[NJCardFan]

Who do you sue? OWS is supposedly a rag tag group of hive mind individuals, not some set in stone organization.

[Ranger Rick]

The guy who has his name on the checking account.

[Bailey]

Who do you sue? OWS is supposedly a rag tag group of hive mind individuals, not some set in stone organization.

I thought they had lots of cash from donations and such, there was a big row over what kind of bank to put it in.

[Tipsycatlover]

LA should LOSE. The City allowed OWS to remain. The City encouraged them and welcomed them.

[SarasotaRepub]

LA should LOSE. The City allowed OWS to remain. The City encouraged them and welcomed them.

Yep. Exactly right.

[Apocalypse]

I agree with Tipsy, LA should learn a lesson after offering them free downtown office-space and farm land at city expense.

This is now just face saving steps. There is money they could go after, but they realize the movement has become a political embarrassment to the officials and now they want to save face in the view of voters going into next years elections, who are angry and sickened by the Shitters..

[Tipsycatlover]

If it had not been for disease, that camp would be there right now.

[Elspeth]

I think "Mayor" Tony Vilar should pay damages out of his own pocket. That might prevent him from running for ::shudder:: governor. (He is the one person who could do a worse job than Moonbeam.)

[noonwitch]

Who do you sue? OWS is supposedly a rag tag group of hive mind individuals, not some set in stone organization.

I'm not sure how much money they could get out of them, too.


They can charge the protesters with trespassing, then make cleaning up the park their community service sentence (although those idiots would probably choose to serve the jail time instead).