March 2012 Vol. 12, Issue 1
Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker 
News from the Oakland City Attorney's Office
In This Issue
City Attorney sues man for vandalism during protest; Annual Report gives taxpayers a detailed review of the year in legal services
Featured Article:
Kamala Harris' foreclosure deal a win for state -- op-ed in the SF Chronicle by City Attorney Parker & City Councilmember Kaplan
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Greetings!

 BJP

As Oakland's City Attorney, my mission is to lead a legal office that represents the City and all Oaklanders with the highest level of professionalism, integrity and competence.

As a long time Oakland resident and a public official, I believe reducing crime and violence in our community must be one of our top priorities. In this edition of the City Attorney's newsletter, I'll give you a brief update on my office's recent public safety initiatives. I'll also provide a link to our Annual Report, which you can find on our Web site. This report has detailed information about the work of the City Attorney's Office during the previous fiscal year.

As always, I look forward to hearing your questions, concerns and ideas for improving how the City serves Oakland's residents and businesses.

Very truly yours,

Barbara J. Parker
Oakland City Attorney

Public Safety Update: Suing vandals for damages

 

During an "Occupy Oakland" protest in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, a 24-year-old man from Elk Grove deliberately smashed almost $7,000 worth of windows in a public building. 

 

The man, Cesar Aguirre, was arrested after police witnessed him destroying the windows of a building in City Hall plaza with a metal chair.

 

Oakland cannot afford this behavior, and we will not tolerate it.

 

My office champions the First Amendment, peaceful protest and dissent. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions in recent years, peaceful demonstrations have been marred by small groups of people who use the crowd as cover to vandalize public buildings, set fires and damage local businesses. In some recent protests, these acts have undermined the legitimate goal of addressing economic inequality.

 

Individuals who come to Oakland to destroy the public's property should be held accountable and make taxpayers whole. People who live, work and run businesses here should not have to shoulder the costs. I directed the Neighborhood Law Corps, the community law unit of the City Attorney's Office, to sue Aguirre for the cost of repairing the windows, plus punitive damages to be determined by the court.

 

This is the first person we have sued to recover damages for vandalism related to the Occupy protests. We are now reviewing other vandalism cases, and I plan to file more lawsuits if evidence warrants doing so. I hope these actions will deter those who come to Oakland not to protest, but merely to act out in destructive ways.

 

more information

Update: Oakland Wins Gang Lawsuit
Judge rules for the City in lawsuit against Norteņos gang


safety zoneOn Feb. 21, the court issued a preliminary injunction including all remaining defendants in the City's lawsuit against the Norteņos gang. The order essentially concludes the trial that began almost a year and a half ago when the City filed a civil lawsuit against the Norteņos -- one of the largest and most violent gangs in Oakland.

 

Within a specific zone in the Fruitvale neighborhood, the injunction prohibits 40 members of the gang from congregating in public and being on the street after 10 p.m., with exceptions for things including work, school and emergencies. 

 

more information  

Update: Shutting down prostitution hotels 
 
We are proceeding in court against two hotels that for years have been hubs of prostitution and child sex trafficking in Oakland. We are asking the court to shut down the hotels based on their long records of allowing and profiting from the exploitation of women and girls in our community.

No neighborhood in Oakland should have to live with the sex trade industry -- and the horrific violence associated with it. We hope that the court will close the hotels for a year, and that the owners will use that time to come up with a business plan that doesn't rely on prostitution as a major source of revenue.
Annual ReportCity Attorney's Annual Report 

We consider Oakland residents and businesses to be the "shareholders" of the municipal corporation. Like any shareholders, you are entitled to know how your taxpayer dollars are being spent on legal services. The Annual Report gives a detailed summary of financial results, litigation trends, advisory matters and ongoing community benefit projects by the City Attorney's Office. 

The report is now on line.
In Brief:
  • Read the op-ed by City Attorney Parker and Councilmember Kaplan about the foreclosure crisis in Oakland, and how one state official is fighting for victims of this crisis in California.