Appeals court tosses out $1.5-million award to ex-prosecutor

Judges reverse a jury ruling for Lynn Magnandonovan, who said the L.A. city attorney's office had retaliated against her for filing a sex discrimination complaint and reporting misconduct.

A state appeals court on Wednesday overturned a $1.5-million award for a former Los Angeles prosecutor who said City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and other supervisors retaliated against her for filing a sex discrimination complaint and reporting misconduct by other attorneys.

The Court of Appeal in L.A. found that the evidence did not support Lynn Magnandonovan's allegation. The 2-1 ruling reversed a 2006 jury decision that also gave Magnandonovan substantial legal fees.

The appellate ruling found that Delgadillo had a legitimate reason for firing Magnandonovan in 2002 because she had "behaved in a wholly unacceptable manner before Superior Court judges."

FOR THE RECORD

Magnandonovan case: In an article in Thursday's California section on a state appeals court ruling that overturned a $1.5-million award for former Los Angeles prosecutor Lynn Magnandonovan, a quote and statements expressing surprise that the justices had reversed the jury were incorrectly attributed to her attorney William N. Hancock. The comments were made by Hancock's co-counsel on the case, Jon B. Eisenberg.


Delgadillo said the ruling affirmed his ability to maintain a staff that is "committed to justice and the highest ideals of the legal profession."

Willon is a Times staff writer.

phil.willon@latimes.com

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