(LOS ANGELES) – Today, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has protected taxpayers by obtaining a defense judgment in a federal police litigation matter of Galia Rita Charukian v. City of Los Angeles.
“We are pleased with the Court’s decision which affirmed that LAPD’s response was appropriate and lawful. I am grateful for the expertise and diligence of our Police Litigation Unit who have saved LA taxpayers at least $1 million as a result of this work,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney.
On August 3, 2022, a U.S. Marshals task force pursued a potentially armed fugitive as he fled into a commercial property in North Hollywood owned by plaintiff Galia Rita Charukian. Believing that the fugitive was hiding in the building, U.S. Marshals requested the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics ("SWAT") team. SWAT responded and devised a plan to encourage the fugitive's peaceful surrender or safely apprehend him. Over several hours, SWAT officers employed robots, negotiators and investigative tools to resolve the incident without force. After searching the property, officers determined that the suspect was not inside the building.
The building’s owner subsequently filed this lawsuit, seeking more than $500,000 in alleged property damages and asserting claims of negligence, unconstitutional takings, and violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983.
During trial, the City filed a Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 50 Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law and the Court subsequently granted the motion as to all of Plaintiff's claims. The Court determined there were sufficient immunities and/or case law precluding the plaintiff's claim. Additionally, the Court found that the plaintiff had not offered any evidence that the officers' actions were unreasonable or unnecessary.
Central District of California Case #CV25-01292:
Galia Rita Charukian dba Morrison Studios, Ltd., L.P. v. City of Los Angeles - Judgment
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Hydee Feldstein Soto is the 43rd Los Angeles City Attorney, elected in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Her team of nearly 1,000 legal professionals, including 500+ attorneys, carries out legal work for the City of Los Angeles at her direction and under her supervision. She is the first female City Attorney in L.A. history.