Judge Orders Payment to Dalton Case Attorney
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A federal judge has ordered Los Angeles officials to pay more than $30,000 in fees and costs to a civil rights attorney because Police Chief Daryl F. Gates and his lawyer failed to release confidential reports on the notorious Dalton Avenue raid.
In an order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi awarded $30,485 to attorney Stephen Yagman, who represents two owners of the apartment buildings at 39th Street and Dalton Avenue that were ransacked in a 1988 drug raid by police.
Yagman said that the withholding last year of two internal reports compiled on the case forced him to retake depositions from 49 officers involved in the raid.
“The important thing about this award is a federal judge is sanctioning a chief of police and attorney for lying, for concealing police documents,” said Yagman.
Assistant City Atty. Philip Sugar said the fees are not sanctions and that his office has not decided if it will contest the award.
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