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Category: Politics

Egyptian Americans throughout Southern California speak out about embattled Mubarak regime

As the blows and electric shocks, the taunts and degradations rained down on him, Khaled Abou el Fadl never imagined that the perpetrator of his torture -- the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak -- could ever possibly be shaken.

Now, more than 25 years later, the UCLA law professor is awestruck and incredulous that the people of his native land have risen up in the biggest demonstrations ever against Mubarak and a government that seemed, for three long decades, all-powerful and all-pervasive.

“I never thought I would live to see this moment,” Abou el Fadl said as he scanned Al Jazeera news coverage of the uprising during an interview at his Van Nuys home this week. “It is a historically transformative moment.”

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No surprise: Los Angeles police union backs Bernard Parks' opponent

The union representing some 9,900 rank-and-file Los Angeles police officers has endorsed Forescee Hogan-Rowles in her bid to unseat City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, the former police chief who is running for his third term representing the 8th District in South Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League’s backing of Hogan-Rowles, who runs a nonprofit group in South L.A., reflects the contentious history between the union and Parks, who served one five-year term as chief before he was ousted in 2002 by then-Mayor James K. Hahn's civilian police commission.

The commission's decision not to reappoint Parks to a second term followed an intensive campaign against him by the police union. Parks, a 38-year veteran of the department, had clashed with the union repeatedly, particularly over his approach to discipline, which many rank-and-file officers viewed as too punitive. In a union poll at the time Parks was up for reappointment, 93% of union members surveyed said they had no confidence in Parks. The union’s board of directors described Parks in a 2002 statement as “a failure.”

Parks’ campaign spokesman said the union was still “holding a grudge from his tenure at LAPD, where he fired 140 problem police officers.” The union also opposed Parks when he ran for mayor in 2005 and for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2008.

During his tenure on the council, Parks has continued to be at odds with the union over contract negotiations, some hiring decisions and schedules in which officers work three 12-hour shifts a week.

When the group offered him an interview, the councilman said, “We laughed and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ ”

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Villaraigosa anti-gang official on leave after dance-club fight [Updated]

A staffer on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's anti-gang team has been placed on administrative leave after she was arrested in connection with a fight at a downtown nightclub.

Villaraigosa Chief of Staff Jeff Carr, who ran the mayor's anti-gang programs until he was promoted in 2009, said Blanca Martinez-Navarro has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

"Other than that, I have no comment," Carr said in an e-mail Sunday.

Martinez-Navarro, 28, the Rampart program manager for the mayor's gang reduction and youth development office, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery about 1:40 a.m. after police were called to the Conga Room at 800 W. Olympic Blvd. within the L.A. Live Complex, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

Martinez-Navarro is being held at the Central Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Her husband, Oscar Navarro, 29, was also booked on the same misdemeanor battery charge.

[Updated, 5 p.m.: Martinez-Navarro was released Sunday afternoon on $20,000 bail.]

The couple were attending a large party at the Conga Room when they allegedly became embroiled in a domestic dispute. When a security guard responded, Martinez-Navarro's husband allegedly began fighting with him, according to law enforcement sources who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing criminal investigation.

LAPD officers were then called to the scene. When police confronted Navarro, he struggled with officers, and his wife allegedly jumped onto one's back, the sources said. 

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Official in Mayor Villaraigosa's gang-reduction office arrested after fight at downtown nightclub

-- Andrew Blankstein and David Zahniser


Official in Mayor Villaraigosa's gang-reduction office arrested after fight at downtown nightclub [updated]

A staffer with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's gang-reduction office was arrested early Sunday after authorities said she assaulted a police officer who had responded to a report of a fight at a downtown club.

Blanca Martinez-Navarro, the Rampart program manager for the mayor's gang reduction and youth development office, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery around 1:40 a.m. after police were called to the Conga Room at 800 West Olympic Boulevard within the downtown L.A. Live Complex, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

Martinez-Navarro is being held at the Central Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. [Update, 11 a.m.: Martinez-Navarro's husband, Oscar Navarro, was also booked on the same misdemeanor battery charge.]

The couple were attending a large party at the Conga Room when they allegedly became embroiled in some kind of domestic dispute. When a security guard responded to the club, Martinez-Navarro's husband allegedly began fighting with him, according to law enforcement sources who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing criminal investigation.

LAPD officers were then called to the scene. [Updated, 11 a.m.: When officers confronted Navarro, he struggled with police, and his wife allegedly jumped onto one officer's back, the sources said. ]

RELATED:

Villaraigosa anti-gang official on leave after dance-club fight

-- Andrew Blankstein


Huizar e-mails supporters that ranking of civic leaders was not 'some kind of Nixonian enemies list'

Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar sent an e-mail to his reelection supporters on Tuesday trying to explain his use of lists prepared by his office that graded civic leaders on their support for him.

He said the practice was done by “a former staff member” and has been abandoned.

“While the list has not been used in years, it was not, as my opponent claimed, some kind of Nixonian ‘enemies list,’” Huizar wrote.

“It most definitely was not used to determine who received services, or had their potholes filled.” Huizar said his opponent, Rudy Martinez, “cannot cite one single example of the misuse of that list for any purpose. Not one.”

The e-mail went out one day after The Times reported on the lists, which ranked dozens of civic leaders on their clout in the district, with 5 being the best score. The list also graded community leaders on their support for Huizar using a ranking of 3 to indicate a strong supporter and a minus 3 for a die-hard foe.

Huizar sent his e-mail after Martinez posted three separate lists--one for Boyle Heights, one for El Sereno and one for Northeast neighborhoods such as Eagle Rock and Mt. Washington--on his campaign website. “If Mr. Huizar was in touch with the community, he wouldn’t need to have a list,” said Martinez.

RELATED:

Huizar staff graded civic leaders on their clout and support for him

-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall


Arrests or laziness: L.A. City Council candidates discuss unfair campaign accusations

The first forum held by two candidates running to represent an Eastside seat on the Los Angeles City Council veered into unusual territory when one reviewed details of his arrest record and the other said he had been falsely accused of being lazy.

Councilman Jose Huizar and his lone opponent, businessman Rudy Martinez, spent much of the one-hour event discussing typical council fare, such as graffiti removal and the city's budget crisis.

But a single question put a jolt into the evening when both candidates were asked to describe what they felt were unfair campaign accusations about themselves. Martinez, who owns a sushi bar in Eagle Rock, described two arrests -- one for drunk driving in 1988 and another for assault in 1991.

He said the latter case, which resulted in a battery conviction, occurred after a fight at his father's restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Martinez then told the audience, gathered in a meeting room of Hermon Community Church, that he had been accused -- falsely, he later said -- of beating his wife.

Huizar swiftly responded, interrupting Martinez to announce he had never made such an allegation. Martinez apologized to Huizar and told audience members he was willing to talk to them further about the arrests.

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Parks reelection challenger boasts of endorsements from two key L.A. unions

A challenger to Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks boasted Wednesday that she has secured the backing of two major public employee unions in the March 8 election, including one that represents workers at the Department of Water and Power.

Forescee Hogan-Rowles, a former appointee of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the DWP board, said she picked up the endorsement of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, which serves more than 8,600 DWP workers. That union was upset at Parks last year for attempting to give the council more control over pension benefits for utility employees.

Hogan-Rowles also said she had received the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents thousands of civilian employees at City Hall. That group has voiced disappointment with Parks, who heads the council’s budget committee and has repeatedly pushed for layoffs as a way of addressing a major financial crisis.

The city faces a shortfall of nearly $63 million this year and is expected to confront a $350-million gap in the fiscal year that starts July 1. So far, 2,400 workers have taken early retirement, while more than 360 have been laid off.

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Schwarzenegger sent apology letter to victim's family after commuting Esteban Nuñez's sentence

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter of apology to the father of Luis Dos Santos after he commuted the prison sentence of the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez.

Santos was killed outside a party in San Diego in 2008, and Nuñez's son, Esteban Nuñez, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the slaying -- the same sentence given to Santos' killer.

Just hours before Schwarzenegger was set to leave office Jan. 2, he reduced Esteban' Nuñez's sentence by more than half.

"It is with heavy heart that I write to you in acknowledgment that my commutation of Esteban Nuñez  has caused you more pain," Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter dated Jan. 5 and posted on the KNX-AM (1070) website. "I recognize that the last-minute nature of my final acts as Governor provided you no notice, no time to prepare for or absorb the impact of this decision. For that I apologize."

Fred Santos told KNX he is considering taking legal action over the commuted sentence. He said he and his family were not warned about the impending commutation.

“Basically, we think that our constitutional rights as victims have been violated because we were not notified,” Santos told the station Wednesday.

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Inglewood election: Unofficial tally has retired police chief ahead in mayor's race

A retired police chief appears headed to becoming Inglewood's new mayor over a veteran politician and incumbent.

An unofficial tally released Wednesday by the Inglewood city clerk’s office gives James T. Butts 56% of the vote, compared with 44% for incumbent Daniel K. Tabor. About 5,700 votes were cast, but an unspecified number of absentee provisional ballots have yet to be counted, said City Clerk Yvonne Horton.

The runoff election held Tuesday followed a November general election in which no candidate received a majority of the votes required for election to office.

Butts, who served as Santa Monica police chief for 15 years and spent almost two decades with the Inglewood Police Department, was ready to claim victory Wednesday.

“I feel extremely grateful to the community for expressing their confidence in me to serve and lead the city forward,” said Butts, 57, who moved to Inglewood last year but lived in the city for a few years in the 1970s.

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Commuted sentence of Fabian Nuñez's son could spark lawsuit

One week after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commuted the prison sentence of the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez in the stabbing death of a San Diego college student, the victim's father said he plans to take legal action.

Fred Santos, whose son, Luis Dos Santos, was killed outside a party in 2008, told KNX-AM (1070) that he and his family were not warned about the impending commutation and he may file a lawsuit calling for it to be overturned.

“Basically, we think that our constitutional rights as victims have been violated because we were not notified,” Santos told the station Wednesday.

The reduction of Esteban Nuñez’s sentence from 16 years to seven years, one of Schwarzenegger’s last acts before leaving office, sparked cries of dismay from prosecutors and accusations of cronyism by legal experts. Santos said Schwarzenegger sent a letter of apology to the family after the outcry.

“He acknowledges that he did not give us any notice of what he was planning to do,” Santos said. “The context of the letter was to give some excuses ... we do not believe in the sincerity of his letter.”

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L.A. Now is the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news section for Southern California. It is produced by more than 80 reporters and editors in The Times’ Metro section, reporting from the paper’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters as well as bureaus in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura and West Los Angeles.
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