Constitutional Law

Fight for L.A. City Atty position

Carmen Trutanich, partner to pro-gun attorney Chuck Michel, is one of the last two contenders, and the race is getting pretty combative:

"Trutanich cast Weiss as a legal ?novice? with little to show for his two terms on the City Council. Weiss hammered Trutanich for representing polluters and sharing a law practice with an attorney for the National Rifle Association, among other gun groups.

At various points during the hour-and-a-half debate, Weiss stood inches from Trutanich, jabbing his finger in the air and demanding that Trutanich disclose all of his firm?s clients.

?You are a walking, talking conflict of interest. You need to tell the people of this city who the conflicts are, and how much its going to cost us,? Weiss said, arguing that the city would be forced to spend millions of additional dollars on outside counsel if any of Trutanich?s former clients faced the city in court. ?Please do us a favor now, rather than on July 1, of fessing up on who your clients are."

?Here?s a guy who is in the back pocket of almost every developer in the city telling me to disclose something?? Trutanich retorted. Questioning Weiss?s accomplishments, he continued: ?He fell asleep on his shovel and woke up to run for city attorney. There?s an entitlement about him -- he feels he?s entitled to this job and he?s not, because he?s done nothing to deserve it.?"

Full post as published by Of Arms and the Law on April 04, 2009 (boomark / email).