Government
Where do you go to protest wealth inequality? For about 30 people, many Richmond residents, the answer was simple on Tuesday: Go to the million-dollar-plus Lafayette estate of Chevron Corp. CEO John Watson. About 30 protesters stood in the rain in front of Watson’s home, criticizing the CEO as an example of what they called “corporate welfare” and undue influence of the richest Californians on the state’s tax code. “In the city of Richmond where I live, where most of…
Police Chief Chris Magnus, retired Deputy Chief Lori Ritter and the city of Richmond were cleared by a Contra Costa County jury on Tuesday of racial discrimination and harassment charges. Seven high-ranking African American police officials had sought damages of around $18 million for what they alleged were a series of racial digs as well as systemic discrimination by Magnus and Ritter, both of whom are white. The jury ruled that the plaintiffs were entitled to nothing. “I’ve been overwhelmed…
Representative George Miller is an unabashedly left-leaning Democrat and Richmond’s congressional representative, who is currently focused on the national healthcare and budget debates.
Following three months of courtroom battles, and five years after seven high-ranking African American Richmond police officers first filed a discrimination lawsuit against the city, Police Chief Chris Magnus, and former Deputy Chief Lori Ritter, arguments have come to a close. All that’s left is for the jury to reach a verdict.
Defense attorneys Arthur A. Hartinger and Geoffrey Spellberg, representing Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus, began their closing arguments on Wednesday morning in the discrimination suit filed by seven police officers against the chief and the city. The courtroom was packed to capacity with observers, including the families of the plaintiffs as well as police officers and local council members.
Editor’s Note: The following is a letter submitted to RichmondConfidential.org by Councilman Jeff Ritterman. As a cooperative news organization and forum for community discourse, we welcome op-ed pieces and other reports and photos from residents, readers and public officials. The sentiments contained in this letter are solely those of the author. _________ Dear DeVone Boggan, I am so sorry that you and the Office of Neighborhood Safety have been so relentlessly attacked. I am also sorry for not countering the…
The attorney for six of the seven plaintiffs in the discrimination lawsuit against the city, Police Chief Chris Magnus and former Deputy Chief Lori Ritter said his clients should be awarded about $1.5 million each for the emotional toll of enduring six-plus years of alleged discrimination and a hostile work environment. But the total should be larger, around $3 million each, argued plaintiffs’ attorney Stephen Jaffe, when economic damages from stalled promotions and punitive costs are factored in. Jaffe on…
The Office of Neighborhood Safety is in the spotlight at City Hall again, and growing unrest between the agency and its critics threatens to engulf much of the city’s government and hamper larger goals of reducing violence and increasing transparency. The action has focused in recent weeks on a proposal by City Councilman Corky Booze to have a “forensic audit” of ONS, a city agency focused on street-violence intervention. Booze added the audit to the council agenda on consecutive weeks…
On Monday morning, the County Assessor’s Appeals Board denied Chevron’s appeal of its tax assessment value for the years 2007 – 2009. Representatives from the oil giant had argued that the county had overvalued the property taxes due from the company’s Richmond oil refinery, and that it was owed a refund of up to $73 million. The appeal was the largest in the county’s history, according to County Assessor Gus Kramer.