Over 60 Retired Los Angeles City Attorneys and Staff Endorse John McKinney for City Attorney
TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
As retired and former members of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, we proudly and unequivocally endorse John McKinney for Los Angeles City Attorney. Our collective experience includes both the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Office, including at the Chief and Senior Assistant levels, with many decades of dedicated public service. We served multiple administrations with distinction and remain dedicated to the mission of the Office and to its many fine employees. The upcoming election is critically important and we are compelled to go on the record for the right candidate. That candidate is indisputably John McKinney.
We hold a deep understanding of the immense and diverse demands of this position and the duties set forth under the City Charter. We are uniquely qualified to evaluate the merits of each candidate. We are confident that John McKinney is the only candidate with the legal qualifications and management skills needed to lead the Office of the City Attorney.
McKinney has extensive courtroom experience in both bench and jury trials as both the trial attorney and as the supervising attorney. This experience has given him the ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a case. As a result, he is well positioned to effectively manage lawsuits to the benefit of the City and to reduce the settlements that have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
McKinney is currently a Director and Assistant Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. He manages Major Crimes, Family Violence, Sex Crimes and the Juvenile Division, leading more than 300 attorneys and professional staff. He oversees and directs operations, training, and evaluations for subordinate attorneys and support staff. McKinney is an experienced administrative leader known for his balanced perspective and strong management skills. He is the only candidate with a proven track record of both winning trials and successfully supervising a substantial attorney staff.
John McKinney possesses the vision, the skill and the commitment to lead the City Attorney’s Office forward. That is why we proudly endorse John McKinney for Los Angeles City Attorney.
Sincerely,
Sue Frauens
Assistant City Attorney
Ethics, Training, and Legislation (Ret.)
Mary Clare Molidor
Chief Assistant City Attorney
Criminal and Special Litigation Branch (Ret.)
Maureen R. Siegel
Senior Assistant City Attorney
Chief, Criminal Operations, Special Counsel to the City Attorney (Ret.)
Christopher M. Westhoff
Assistant City Attorney
Public Works General Counsel (Ret.)
Kim Rodgers Westhoff
Building and Safety General Counsel (Ret.)
Gary Barr
Deputy City Attorney
Civil Branch (Former)
Pam Blair
Paralegal II
Gang and Gun Prosecution Section (Ret.)
Lara Bloomquist
Supervising Assistant City Attorney
Family Violence Division (Ret.)
Amy Brothers
Deputy City Attorney IV
Land Use Division (Ret.)
Mark Brown
Senior Assistant City Attorney
Supervising Attorney of the General Counsel Division of the Civil Branch (Ret.)
Mark Burton
Senior Assistant City Attorney
Airport Division (Ret.)
Former Mayor of Manhattan BeachAnn D’Amato
Chief of Staff (Ret.)
Mary Dennis
Deputy City Attorney IV
Housing Division, Civil Branch (Ret.)
Anthony Paul Diaz
Deputy City Attorney
General Counsel Division (Former)
Pedro Echeverria
Chief Assistant City Attorney (Ret.)
Civil Branch
Liora Forman Echols
Supervising Assistant City Attorney
Public Rights Branch (Ret.)
Ellen Friedmann
Deputy City Attorney IV
Special Assistant to the City Attorney (Ret.)
Chris Funk
Deputy City Attorney
General Counsel, Advisor to City Council and Planning Commission (Ret.)
Elizabeth Gertz
Deputy City Attorney IV
North Valley Branch (Ret.)
Kevin Gilligan
Supervising Assistant City Attorney
Intellectual Property Prosecution Section (Ret.)
Howard B. Gluck
Assistant City Attorney
Supervisor, Central Filings and Arraignment (Ret.)
Marcia Gonzales-Kimbrough
Deputy City Attorney
Municipal Counsel Division (Ret.)Barry Groveman
Senior Assistant City Attorney
Supervisor, Environmental Protection Unit (Former)
Martha A. Gutierrez
Assistant Supervising Attorney
Neighborhood Prosecutor Program (Ret.)
Larry N. Guzin
Assistant City Attorney
Chief, Central Operations-Criminal Branch (Former)
H. Spencer Hart
Assistant Supervising Attorney
Pacific Criminal Branch (Ret.)
Carmen D. Hawkins
Deputy City Attorney
Supervising Attorney for the Neighborhood Council Advice Division (Ret.)
Tina Hess
Deputy Chief/Senior Assistant City Attorney
Complex and Special Litigation (Ret.)
Frank Horowitz
Deputy City Attorney IV
Metropolitan Branch (Hill St.) (Ret.)
Donna Weisz Jones
Assistant City Attorney
Civil Branch (Ret.)
Jennifer Roth Krieger
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer / Special Assistant to the City Attorney (Ret.)
Jamie Larson
Deputy City Attorney III
Supervising Attorney of Recidivism Reduction and Drug Diversion Unit (Former)
Renee Laurents
Appellate Deputy City Attorney
Department of Water and Power (Ret.)
Bev Miller
City Attorney Hearing Officer (Ret.)Gregory P. Orland
Special Counsel (Ret.)
Alexander T. Perez
Assistant City Attorney
Supervisor, Family Violence Unit )Ret.)
Alois Phillips
Deputy City Attorney
Assistant Supervisor, Family Violence Unit (Ret.)
Gwendolyn Poindexter
Managing Assistant City Attorney
Neighborhood Council Advice Division (Ret.)
Keith Pritsker
Deputy City Attorney IV
General Counsel Division (Ret.)
Julie Raffish
Supervising Assistant City Attorney
Public Safety General Counsel Division (Ret.)
Wilberta Richardson
Managing Senior Assistant City Attorney
Civil Litigation (Ret.)
Laurie Rittenberg
Managing Assistant City Attorney
Business and Complex Litigation (Ret.)
Shaphan Roberts
Director of the Dispute Resolution Program (DRP) &
Community Police Unification Program (Former)
Julie San Juan
Supervising Assistant City Attorney
Pacific Office (Airport and Long Beach) (Ret.)
Hon. Stephanie Sautner
Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court (Ret.)
Supervising DCA, Housing Enforcement Unit (Former)
Richard (Rick) Schmidt
Assistant City Attorney
Supervising Attorney, Van Nuys Branch (Ret.)Susan Schmitter
Deputy City Attorney
Family Violence Division (Ret.)
Gail Love Shallowhorn
City Attorney Hearing Officer (Ret.)
Cindy Shin
Deputy Director of Communications (Former)
Peter Shutan
Assistant Supervising Attorney
Gang Prosecutions (Ret.)
Janna Sidley
General Counsel
Harbor Department (Ret.)
Shelley Ilene Smith
Assistant City Attorney
General Counsel Division (Ret.)
J. Schuyler Sprowles
Director of Communications (Former)
William N. Sterling
Assistant City Attorney
Criminal Branch Supervisor (Ret.)
Gayle Takahashi
Assistant Supervising Attorney
Housing Division, Municipal Branch (Ret.)
Earl Thomas
Chief, Criminal Division (Ret.)
Marty Vranicar
Assistant City Attorney
Gang Unit (Ret.)
Amy Burton Webber
Deputy City Attorney
Real Property/Environment-Civil Division (Ret.)
Michele Worden
City Attorney Hearing Officer (Ret.)
Claudia Wrazel
Deputy City Attorney III
Committee to Rebuild LA (CRLA) – Civil Branch
Trial Deputy, Van Nuys Criminal Branch (Ret.)