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Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles

Council File 26-0986

Under review — Legal Aid is suing the city over a records dispute involving parking data, and the City Attorney wants Council to discuss settlement options in closed session before the Claims Board acts, but the Budget Committee hasn't yet scheduled a hearing.

Introduced
2026-07-09
Last changed
2026-07-10
Status
open
Expires
2028-07-09
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Initiated by
City Attorney
References
City Attorney Report: R26-0398LASC CASE NO. 24STCP04094

Brief

The City Attorney has referred a lawsuit brought by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles against the City to the Budget and Finance Committee. The case, filed in Superior Court (Case No. 24STCP04094), was submitted to Council on July 9, 2026. The file is currently pending committee review and will expire in July 2028 unless action is taken.

Full summary

This Council file concerns a lawsuit filed by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles against the City arising from a dispute under the California Public Records Act. Legal Aid submitted a 45-point records request to the Department of Transportation seeking parking citation and towing fee data spanning January 2018 through May 10, 2024. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, appears to challenge the City's failure or refusal to fully comply with that request. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, through Deputy City Attorney Bethelwel Wilson, submitted a report to Council on July 9, 2026, requesting that a closed-session discussion be scheduled pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1), which permits local legislative bodies to meet privately with legal counsel on pending litigation. The report specifically recommends that the Council discuss a settlement recommendation before the Claims Board takes action in the matter. The General Manager of the Department of Transportation was copied on the report. The file was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee on July 10, 2026, where it currently sits pending committee scheduling. Because the closed-session process is by design non-public, the specific terms of any proposed settlement have not been disclosed. The committee will need to convene, receive legal advice in closed session, and determine whether to recommend a settlement or other action to the full Council. As of mid-July 2026, no committee hearing date has been set and no Council vote has been recorded. The file remains active and open, with a two-year window before expiration.

Activity (2)

  • 2026-07-10 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-07-09 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated July 9, 2026.

Documents (1)

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