Costa Mesa Ca Suits

Annie Slater, who was detained by Costa Mesa police in October while shopping at South Coast Plaza, has filed suit against the city. Slater, wife of St. Louis Rams player Jackie Slater, said her civil rights were violated when she was detained by Costa Mesa police who were searching for a black woman suspected of attempting to pass a bad check.

A former city police officer has dropped her sexual harassment lawsuit against the department. In a settlement reached last week, Nancy McAllister, who now works at the city jail as a custody officer, agreed to dismiss her claim in return for regaining seniority and lost vacation time, city officials said.

Former City Councilman Orville Amburgey filed a lawsuit Monday claiming that three city officials conspired to destroy his reelection bid by sending conflict-of-interest allegations to the district attorney just before the election. The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, names Mayor Mary Hornbuckle, City Atty. Thomas Kathe and City Manager Allan L. Roeder. It was also filed against the city as a whole.

A federal appeals court has handed a victory to a Santa Ana tow truck owner who used a federal trade law to circumvent towing regulations in several Orange County cities. Patrick P. Tocher, who owns Pacific Coast Motoring and California Coastal Towing, sued the cities and police departments of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Tustin in 1995, contending that deregulation laws passed by Congress transcended city ordinances.

A jury awarded $70,000 Thursday to a man who sued the Costa Mesa Police Department after he was arrested as he left a Guns N' Roses concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre four years ago. Anthony Rzepa, 38, of Upland and owner of a Jet Ski rental company, alleged in a lawsuit that the incident started when he misunderstood a traffic officer's hand signals just outside the concert.

Henry 'N Harry's Goat Hill Tavern faces yet another legal challenge in its battle to keep its doors open, as the city takes its case to shut the bar down to the state Supreme Court. At the request of the City Council, the city attorney filed a petition with the state's highest court, asking it to reverse an earlier lower court decision granting the popular drinking establishment the right to operate.

The city this week paid two female bodybuilders a total of $65,000 to settle a claim filed after Costa Mesa police officers forced them to prove their sex at a Pacific Amphitheatre concert last fall. Lori Sencer and Bridget Morton were stopped by police outside the women's bathroom during a concert in October and told to provide proof that they were women after the officers received complaints that men were inside the bathroom.

A veteran officer filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday against the Los Angeles Police Department, saying there is "a pattern, policy and practice" within the department to retaliate against individual police officers who become disabled. In his suit, Officer Jeffrey J. Zych of Costa Mesa cited incidents in which he said police confused his illness with AIDS, falsely arrested him and wrongly committed him to a mental hospital.

An attorney for two female bodybuilders who claim that police made them prove they were women at a Pacific Amphitheatre concert last fall said there has been a settlement of their claim against the city. The City Council was expected to discuss and vote on the matter in closed session Monday night, City Atty. Thomas Kathe said. Both sides agreed not to disclose the terms of the settlement.

The City Council will decide Monday whether to schedule a public hearing on the settlement of a lawsuit that Costa Mesa officials filed in 1991 against directors of the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center. At issue was the fair board's proposal to build a hotel and restaurant on the grounds. The lawsuit sought to block such development, alleging that it would create noise and traffic congestion in nearby neighborhoods.

Attorneys for Costa Mesa on Wednesday denied allegations raised in a sexual-harassment lawsuit by three former police officers, calling them "outlandish and without merit." City Atty. Thomas Kathe said that if such activities had gone on, "from what I know of Chief [David L.] Snowden, he would have acted on it responsibly."

Three female Costa Mesa police officers allege in a lawsuit filed Thursday against the city and police chief that they were harassed and intimidated by sexist jokes, lewd comments and fondling. The suit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, also alleges that male officers asked about the plaintiffs' sexual orientation, commented on their anatomy, asked them out on dates, used vulgar language in front of them and then retaliated against them when they complained to supervisors. Chief David L.

The City Council will decide Monday whether to schedule a public hearing on the settlement of a lawsuit that Costa Mesa officials filed in 1991 against directors of the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center. At issue was the fair board's proposal to build a hotel and restaurant on the grounds. The lawsuit sought to block such development, alleging that it would create noise and traffic congestion in nearby neighborhoods.

The wife of a retired St. Louis Ram football player who was mistaken for a theft suspect at South Coast Plaza agreed to drop a civil rights lawsuit after the Police Department's chief offered an apology, attorneys said Wednesday. Annie Slater, who is African American and married to Jackie Slater, contended she was wrongly detained because of her race while shopping last year. She dropped the case after receiving a letter from Costa Mesa Police Chief David L.

The City Council has decided not to designate funds for possible future legal costs associated with Measure A, an initiative approved by voters last fall that calls for converting El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a commercial airport. But the council at its meeting this week asked City Atty. Thomas Kathe to draft a resolution showing support for Measure A, which was backed by 63% of the city's voters.

A carpenter has filed a lawsuit against the city for $10,774 he says is owed him for helping build the city's newest fire station. The suit by Thomas W. Merrick seeks payment for framing work done at the station at 3350 Sakioka Drive. The station, which cost $3.4 million to build and equip, opened in August. The station was designed in consultation with firefighters and features a blue glass atrium and white tilewalls.