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Federal Judge Expands L.A. Contempt Case to Examine Alleged Brown Act Breaches

Judge David O. Carter is incorporating a county finding on secret council votes into an ongoing contempt hearing.

Overview

  • Carter folded newly reported Brown Act allegations into the existing federal contempt proceeding rather than opening a separate case.
  • He ordered all parties to preserve evidence and directed them to file Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin’s briefing schedule by Jan. 21.
  • Kin ruled last week that the City Council violated the Brown Act in January and May 2024 by approving an encampment reduction plan and a county MOU in closed session without public reporting.
  • The federal court is also weighing whether city officials misrepresented material facts, with future hearings expected and top leaders invited to appear.
  • Carter recently ordered Los Angeles to pay $1.6 million to the L.A. Alliance and about $201,000 to intervenors, and the city has signaled an appeal as compliance with the 2022 bed mandate remains under scrutiny.