Trutanich Signs Come Down, Two Years After Election

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Page 3

Trutanich Signs Come Down, Two Years After Election

By a MetNews Staff Writer

Signs left over from City Attorney Carmen Trutanich’s 2009 race to become chief prosecutor of Los Angeles which remained alongside his former campaign headquarters in Studio City for more then two years have been removed in recent days, the Los Angeles Dragnet blog reported Friday.

The blog had previously reported on the signs, questioning whether they were illegal offsite advertisements of the sort Trutanich had vowed to eradicate during that campaign.

Two double-sided signs at the Allen Realty Plaza flanked the building where Trutanich headquartered his campaign, at 12524 Ventura Boulevard. During the campaign, one read “Trutanich ’09,” in larger font, above the words “Carmen Trutanich for City Attorney.”

The latter sign was subsequently altered to cover the word “for,” while the former depicted his former campaign website, www.TRU09.com.

After the Dragnet blog questioned the legality of the signs, Trutanich’s chief deputy, Bill Carter, said that his office would not determine the legality of the signs continuing to remain up, but would defer to any other department or office to make that decision.”

Luke Zamparini, principal inspector for the Department of Building and Safety, told the MetNews he did not consider them to be illegal offsite advertising, either because they were “temporary” or because they were exempt as political or ideological speech.

The property owner, Mort Allen, was “a big supporter” of Trutanich’s campaign, he noted. Trutanich ran on a platform promising vigorous prosecution of illegal outdoor advertising signage, and his office claims to have collected more than $6.3 million in civil penalties from companies maintaining unpermitted or otherwise unlawful supergraphics and billboards throughout the city during his tenure.