03 Apr Too Few Know, Too Few Care: The Power of the City Attorney
By Karren Lane
Lost amid an array of lackluster races for the mayor’s office and eight city council seats was the election for city attorney. Too few Angelenos know the direct impact the city attorney’s actions can have on their day-to-day lives.
“The city attorney shapes how vacant lots on your block get cleaned up or whether you will be jailed for failing to pay a misdemeanor fine,” said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president and CEO of Community Coalition. “These can appear to be ‘small’ issues, but they have far reaching relevance for how public safety policies are implemented on a neighborhood level.”
Feuer v. Trutanich
Mike Feuer
Two candidates will be in the May 21 runoff — Mike Feuer and Carmen Trutanich.
Feuer, who has served as a city council member, state assemblyman and executive director of a nonprofit that provides free legal services for the elderly, poor and disabled, won nearly 44% of the vote in the March 5 election. He is running on a pledge to focus on issues that make neighborhoods safer.
“Safety cannot be measured by a conviction rate. My efforts will focus on implementing community-based solutions, including community courts, to improve the quality of life and prevent crime,” stated Feuer.
Incumbent Trutanich, who won 30% of the votes, has said Feuer lacks experience as a prosecutor. He says his background as the city attorney and formerly a deputy district attorney for L.A. County makes him the best candidate.
“Despite drastic budget cuts, we have instituted a number of diversion programs for youth, veterans and the homeless and decreased violent crime in the city every year,” stated Trutanich.
Zealous Prosecution
The city attorney has the authority to determine whether he will prosecute people for minor infractions. Zealous prosecution of such infractions has a disproportionate impact on the poor and the homeless who are often jailed for failing to pay misdemeanor fines. It costs taxpayers $83 a day and $30,000 a year to incarcerate one person in county jail.
Carmen Trutanich
“Voters should select the candidate that is committed to diverting people from county jail into programs, instead of wasting valuable resources to incarcerate people for nonserious misdemeanors or the inability to pay a fine,” said Becky Dennison, co-director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network, a nonprofit that works with South L.A. and downtown residents.
Affordable Housing
The city attorney’s office has played a crucial role in the debate over the proposed “Community Care Facilities” ordinance that includes provisions to regulate how housing can be shared in residential neighborhoods. The ordinance, which city council members voted in January to return to subcommittee for revisions, would have made it much more difficult for seniors, students, disabled people and low-income families to share housing and done nothing to address perceived public safety concerns related to group homes.
Nuisance Businesses
The city attorney’s office also houses programs designed to respond to residents’ complaints about nuisance activities such as drug sales, prostitution, illegal dumping, graffiti and street racing.
“The problem is the selective enforcement of nuisance abatement in the city,” said Joanne Kim, chief operating officer of Community Coalition. “Despite significant evidence of nuisances at liquor stores and vacant lots in South L.A., the city does not hold owners accountable.”
Harris-Dawson urged voters to take the city attorney’s race seriously. “With only 16% of eligible Angelenos casting a ballot in March, public safety and other vital issues are being determined by a small handful of people.”
Lane is the prevention network director at Community Coalition.
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