Judge denies Bernard Parks new trial in automated campaign calls case
Councilman to pay $60,000 judgment
Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks was denied a new trial after evidence supported the notion that he owed $60,000 to Call Center Services for making automated calls to potential voters during his failed 2008 campaign for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Barbara Scheper told attorneys she did not believe there was any new evidence to support granting the new trial motion, and that the facts supporting the original finding against the councilman by former Superior Court Judge John Kronstadt and in favor of the company were sufficient.
Parks’ lawyer, Giselle Vinas Dhalin, declined to comment on the ruling or whether it will be appealed.
Kronstadt had found in favor of the company, after a non-jury trial last November. A judgment was entered on the firm’s behalf in June for $60,425.
The presiding judge found that there was enough evidence which showed that the councilman was responsible for the service, saying that he “knew or should have known” his campaign committee hired the company.
Parks’ voice was recorded for the calls. One of his aids testified that the councilman verbally authorized using the service.
Parks has maintained he never authorized his aides to enter into a contract with Call Center Services.
“I never heard of the company until after the primary election and we received an invoice—not a detailed bill of what was done, but an invoice saying we owed money,” Parks said in January.
“Nobody had ever heard of the company, and certainly the people that they dealt with (Wesson and Westall) didn’t have the authority to go into that level of obligation.”
http://www.ourweekly.com/los-angeles/judge-denies-bernard-parks-new-trial-automated-campaign-calls-case
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks lost his bid today for a new trial on allegations he owes more than $60,000 for automated calls made to potential voters during his failed 2008 campaign for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Citing possible bias, a judge today delayed ruling
on a motion by Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks for a new trial on
allegations he owes more than $60,000 for automated calls made to potential
voters during his failed 2008 campaign for a seat on the county Board of
Supervisors.
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