The two candidates running to be the next LA city attorney have taken polar opposite positions on fighting City Hall corruption. Thomas Peters, a former official in the Los Angeles city attorneys office, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of aiding and abetting extortion. Original article posted April 10th, 2022 on lalcv.org LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA The Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV) which has supported pro-environment local candidates throughout Los Angeles County for more than four decades today announced its endorsement of Kevin James for Los Angeles City Attorney in the upcoming . This is a powerful office that generally leads to other powerful offices. The next city attorney, who is elected for a four-year term, could set the pace for the citys approach to homelessness, affordable housing, public safety and other pressing issues. For the 2022 elections, Citywide candidates may file fundraising paperwork beginning March 8, 2020, and City . 200 N Spring St.Los Angeles, CA 90012 Courts ordered L.A. to restrict its use of gang injunctions in 2020, but theyre still in use. Two outsider candidates vie to become L.A. city attorney Marisa Gerber 10/18/2022 The lawyers competing to replace L.A. City Atty. And the Daffy Duck factor Los Angeles city attorney candidates, from left, Sherri Onica Valle Cole, Hydee. Candidates running for Mayor, City Attorney, or Controller should contact the City's Ethics . In the November midterm election, California is one of the battlefields as Democrats and Republicans fight over control of Congress. Feldstein Soto says the city attorney position calls for managing large transactions and commercial contracts and indentures, managing the citys teams of litigators in the civil and criminal justice worlds, and working with diverse clients who speak with different voices. Even so, both candidates want to root out crime and corruption. On criminal justice: Gill says the misdemeanor system is broken and disproportionately targets communities of color. No one has the right to privatize our public spaces for their own use.. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. A senior official in the City Attorneys Office has pleaded guilty to extortion, and the former head of DWP, David Wright, pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to six years in prison. Bass assumed office in 2022. The matching funds program was enacted by Los Angeles voters and provides limited public funding to help qualified City candidates run their campaigns for elected office without relying on large donors or excessive fundraising. Copyright 2023 City of Los Angeles. New faces are in, and longstanding members are gone. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, scandal with the L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Rise Together Candidate Interview Series: Hydee Feldstein Soto for Los Angeles City Attorney, case where he fought the L.A. city attorneys office, City Attorney Candidate Faisal Gill Has New Approach for L.A.s Homeless (LA Magazine), Ex-Councilmember Martinez Opposed Healthy Streets LA Plan. The city attorney is not a policymaker, but the office can help implement policy. He says the current city attorneys office has too often acted as a rubber stamp for LAPD, which leads to lawsuits and costly legal settlements. . Feldstein Soto said that early in her tenure she will focus on meeting with staff in her office, as well as having conversations with people in various city departments and offices she would be working alongside. Head to the Voter Game Plan homepage for guides to the rest of your ballot. To be counted, a ballot must be received no later than Nov. 15. General election for Los Angeles City Attorney. Feldstein Soto has never run for office. Before moving to California in 2018, Gill lived in Vermont, where he made an unsuccessful bid for a state Senate seat in 2016 and served as chairman of the states Democratic Party for several months in 2017. The city attorneys job includes drafting ordinances adopted by the City Council, such as the citys medical and recreational marijuana laws; restrictions on the unhoused that have been challenged as unconstitutional; and environmental laws such as prohibiting businesses from using plastic grocery bags. Former city attorney Ira Reiner went on to become L.A. district attorney, while his successor James Hahn became mayor after his term as city attorney was up. LA Voters Weigh Candidates for Open City Attorney, Controller Seats by Contributing Editor June 5, 2022 While the race for mayor has taken center stage ahead of Tuesday's primary election. A lifelong registered Democrat a detail shes often repeated on the campaign trail Feldstein Soto says her managerial experience, as well as years working as a transactional lawyer make her the best fit for the job. She called it not completely trustworthy., Gill explained recently, In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, my law firm was struggling as many small businesses were and we did not have a single paying client for six months. In the race for Los Angeles City Attorney, candidate Faisal Gill has built his campaign on personal loans. She grew up in Nogales, Ariz. Los Angeles city attorney candidates, from left, Sherri Onica Valle Cole, Hydee Feldstein Soto, Faisal Gill, Kevin James, Teddy Kapur, Richard Kim and Marina Torres at a Cal State L.A. forum last month. in the seven-person race in the June primary. L.A. has never had an Asian-American or female city attorney, so regardless of who wins, the outcome will be historic. L.A.'s next city attorney inherits a troubled government office at the center . Current city attorney Mike Feuer was making his bid for mayor in 2022 as well, but dropped out of the race in May. On homelessness and housing: Gill said he would not prosecute somebody simply for being houseless. He says laws like 41.18, the controversial ordinance better known as the anti-camping law that prohibits people from camping near schools, daycares, parks and other public spaces, is immoral. He would not prosecute unhoused people under 41.18 or for other crimes related to not having a place to live, such as vandalism, trespassing or failing to appear in court. Bass rescinds endorsement for city attorney candidate as Caruso goes on the attack, California bar restores city attorney candidate Faisal Gills eligibility to practice law, L.A. city attorney race features a couple of ex-Republicans. font-weight: 300; jQuery(item).html("Scroll for more A voter guide. Mike Feuer is one quarter of the way through a months-long tour of L.A. A former Republican, Gill says he turned away from the party years ago after experiencing discrimination for his Muslim faith and that he quickly became a staunch Democrat. Positioned as the more progressive candidate in the race, Gill has said that, if elected, he will focus on holding the Los Angeles police accountable and implementing criminal justice reform. But these injunctions were often applied so broadly that in many cases, people who were not gang members would get hit with an injunction without having the means to fight it in court. Seven candidates are vying to be Los Angeles city attorney, a job now held by Mike Feuer. When the FBI raids City Hall and our office, it is embarrassing as a public servant, said Kim, who has publicly supported the effort to recall Dist. The L.A. Times editorial board endorsements for statewide ballot measures, elected offices in Los Angeles city and county, L.A. Unified School District board, L.A. county superior court, statewide offices, the state Legislature and U.S. House and Senate seats. Seven candidates are vying for his seat. Neither candidate has been elected to public office. Abcarian: Mask mandates? We ought to make sure we only have laws on there that are a) constitutionally enforceable, and b) that we really intend to enforce equally., On holding the L.A. Police Department accountable: Feldstein Soto says she expects to work closely with the LAPD, given that as city attorney you are the lawyer for the department. She also pointed out that although L.A. needs to deal with police misconduct and excess uses of force, there are several law enforcement agencies that operate within L.A. city (including the California Highway Patrol, Sheriffs Department, school police and more) and that she [doesnt] like tarring our LAPD necessarily with the misconduct of every officer in uniform across the country.. March 7, 2023 City of Inglewood Council District 1 Runoff Election. 3 miles west of UCLA in Santa Monica. 2023 KCRW All Rights Reserved. I tend to come into new places softly, she said. Gill has said that he believes Section 41.18 of the municipal code the anti-camping law approved by the City Council last year is unconstitutional and that he wont enforce it. So have the pasts of two of the candidates James, a former public works commissioner, and Gill, a civil rights lawyer. General election for Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto defeated Faisal M. Gill in the general election for Los Angeles City Attorney on November 8, 2022. On homelessness and housing: Homelessness would be her top priority if elected, Feldstein Soto says, and she would focus on how to expedite housing production rather than just litigating homelessness. She says there are four areas the city attorney can get involved in: Finding a more updated financing structure for new housing production, enforcing more competitive bidding procedures, creating a more streamlined process whereby housing development plans can be presented through one office that would reach multiple departments, and finding funds for mental health services apart from the county. Updated to note that current city attorney Mike Feuer is no longer running for mayor of Los Angeles. Seven largely unknown attorneys were whittled down by voters in the battle for the powerful post as Los Angeles City Attorney. City council Candidates were required to submit at least 1,000 petition signatures to qualify for inclusion on the ballot. This is a FUN and FAST-PACED job, unlike anything else. The Los Angeles City Attorneys race appears headed to a runoff, with federal prosecutor Marina Torres maintaining a lead as results trickled in early Wednesday morning, and at least two other candidates following close behind. Civil rights attorney Faisal Gill has long pledged that fighting corruption will be one of his top priorities, stating that he "will never hesitate to hold corrupt politicians accountable for abuses of power."Within hours of news breaking of the racist statements . LA County Board of Supervisors District 1: Hilda Solis. The seven attorneys competing for the job included three City Hall veterans: Sherri Onica Valle Cole is a former deputy city attorney; Kim is a deputy in the City Attorneys Office, and Kevin James was president of the Board of Public Works. Nine candidates are running for mayor of LA in 2022, including Karen Bass, Rick Caruso and Kevin de Len. "Empowered to Represent: A Forum Among Los Angeles City Attorney Candidates" was held at McCarty Memorial Church and moderated by KBLA Talk Radio commentator . Feldstein Soto was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she spoke Spanish at home with her family and English at school. L.A.'s city attorney can decide what lawsuits. Amazing . Faisal Gill and Hydee Feldstein Soto, who, respectively, came in first and second in the seven-person race in the June primary, are now facing off. Trailing him was Kapur, who had raised about $590,000, including a $75,000 loan to himself, and then James, who had raised more than $537,000. Note: The RR/CC does not conduct all elections in Los Angeles County only those listed on this page. My name is Sherri "Onica" Valle Cole. In some ways, the evening was a retread of the last debate featuring the five candidates, with much of the criticism again trained on businessman Rick Caruso. We took a small PPP loan of $20,833.32 to cover our office rent during that period and complied with all applicable rules, just like countless other struggling small businesses did during that time.. Ballots will be in the mail to all 22 million registered voters in the state no later than Oct. 10. It's the first time -- I want to say ever, but in a long time -- when we have an open City Attorney seat, an open Mayoral seat, and eight . Torres has 69,353 votes (20.41%) to 65,747 (19.35%) for Soto, according to updated results released Friday by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Available voter and candidate information vary by election. Rick Caruso and Karen Bass are running for Los Angeles mayor. On the Los Angeles civic calendar, however, it is monumental: It is now less than one year until city voters choose the next mayor. Our weekly mental wellness newsletter can help. The term that each candidate is seeking begins Dec. 12, 2022. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. Feldstein Soto has had a long career as an attorney. On the one hand, you can think of the city attorney as the head of a law firm representing the L.A. city government as its client. LA City Council In 2023: Your Guide To Who's Who (And What They Do), A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. Feldstein Soto, who received 112,978 votes, squeaked into second place over Marina Torres by just 36 votes, while 317,000 city residents voted for other candidates who didnt make it into the runoff. We cant criminalize poverty or homelessness, but neither can we normalize criminal behavior. Unless a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the June 7 primary, the top two contenders head to a runoff in November. She grew up in Puerto Rico, but has lived in Los Angeles for the past 40 years and has been deeply involved in the Neighborhood Council system. But theyve hit a snag, L.A. Times electoral endorsements for November 2022, Endorsement: Rob Bonta for California attorney general, Letters to the Editor: Yes, L.A. drivers are getting worse. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. We ought to scrub our penal code, she said in a December 2021 interview. Atty. He reflected on the ways he, too, had perpetuated discrimination I was wrong then, absolutely wrong, he said of his onetime opposition to same-sex marriage and says he has worked since then to show his dedication to the Democratic Party. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The city attorneys office has often been seen by politicians as another rung on the ladder to higher office, including mayor, even though its an underappreciated and often-misunderstood position. SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2022 10:00 AM CANDIDATES for CITY ATTORNEY Kevin James Hydee Feldstein Soto Faisal Gill Sherri Onica Cole Teddy Kapur Marina Torres PANELIST Dr. Donna Nicol, Michael Lawson, Esq., Lynda Sheridan, Esq. Kapur, an attorney who handles corporate restructuring cases, said his years of volunteer work with a nonprofit that helps families who have experienced homelessness will help him lead with compassion and urgency on the issue. I am somebody who comes to this office with the ability to do the job on day one., I have lived here for 40 years so I know the city well and I come to this job purely as a matter of public service, she said. In LA, The Rise Of The Asian American Progressive. What is a midterm election? Dear voter, we're asking you to help us keep local election news widely available for all today. The party should run pro-environment candidates in order to earn your vote. But as Gill and James have secured big-name endorsements and amassed sizable campaign war chests, their opponents in the seven-person race clearly see their rivals Republican ties as a way to distinguish themselves in deep-blue Los Angeles. Your sample ballot should have an address printed on it showing your local polling site. Two top candidates in the race to become Los Angeles' next city attorney share what . Feldstein Soto is seen as a moderate candidate while Gill is a progressive seeking an elected post in Los Angeles City Hall. Here is your guide to the race. Rounding out the field of contenders to replace termed-out Mike Feuer, who is running for mayor, are former federal prosecutor Marina Torres, Deputy City Atty. Elizabeth Chou has reported on Los Angeles City Hall government and politics since 2013, first with City News Service, and now the Los Angeles Daily News since the end of 2016. Salome Agbaroji, a high school student in Artesia, loves the adrenaline of performing spoken word poetry. 55 candidates qualify for LA's city elections, including a dozen running for mayor. Amid debate over a marriage amendment in Virginia in 2006, Gill was quoted in a local newspaper as saying, I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.. Sept. 8, 2022 Unlike the county's district attorney, which is primarily a prosecutorial role, the city attorney wears many hats that require different skills. But he re-registered as decline-to-state in the early 2000s, according to a Medium post he wrote. We are putting out 20 percent of construction costs and saying to each applicant-developer Go raise the other 80 percent on your own. In the current financial environment, that is just not working very well.. Candidate Questionnaires Not Yet Sent. Neither Faisal Gill, who took the lead in the June primary, nor second-place finisher Hydee Feldstein Soto have worked in City Hall or held political office in Los Angeles. Disclaimer: The numbers in the tables were reported by candidates and others who raised and spent money to influence the selected election (s). Gill previously made a comment about marriage being between a man and a woman, which he now says is wrong. Additionally, he says he would strengthen enforcement of L.A.s Home Sharing Ordinance, which sets regulations for short-term rentals like Airbnb, saying that the proliferation of short-term rentals in L.A. has exacerbated the housing crisis. If elected, he said, he also plans to crack down on people violating the citys rules for renting out homes on sites such as Airbnb, a practice he says hurts the citys housing stock and leads to inflated rent prices. 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