Judge delays decision on L.A. County’s proposal to settle a homeless lawsuit filed by a group of homeless men in Santa Monica, Calif.
L.A. County’s homeless and mentally ill residents could be left at risk of being kicked out of their homes, and taxpayers could be stuck paying a huge bill to settle a homeless lawsuit, the City Council’s civil-trial committee voted Wednesday to delay a decision on whether to approve the county’s settlement.
The seven-member civil-trial committee voted 4-2 to allow the case to return to the Civil Trial and Appellate Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court, where judges will decide whether to accept the settlement or continue the case for a trial.
But the committee also unanimously voted to delay a decision on the proposed settlement until after the appeals court rules on two petitions filed by the homeless plaintiffs challenging the settlement. They have requested the court to review not only the settlement, but also the proposal itself.
During the meeting, which was held at the San Ysidro Mission in Monterey Park, Calif., the plaintiffs’ groups claimed that L.A. County was violating some of the same federal and state civil-rights laws they say the county was accused of violating when it kicked out a man with a history of mental health problems, and who was once accused of rape.
“All the issues we have are the same ones that the jury in that case found in their verdict,” said Eric McDavid of the ACLU of Northern California.
But council members said that not even a jury in a trial would be able to give final answers to questions surrounding the settlement since it would be impossible for L.A. County to conduct an independent review of the settlement itself and for the court to determine whether the settlement is fair.
“I think it would be unfair for a jury to be able to settle this case,” said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who voted against the settlement. “
