City attorney to consider plea offer in alleged fraud case
A local wedding photographer who is accused of allegedly ripping off dozens of newlywed couples responded to criminal allegations Monday, claiming she is the victim of an overzealous city attorney’s office.
Juli Anne Armitage — whose files, computer, pictures and negatives were seized by city investigators last year — said her clients are suffering while the city attorney’s office tries to build a case against her.
“My only comment is that the city attorney is not helping anybody with this,” Armitage said. “My happy clients are now becoming unhappy clients.”
The city attorney’s office in December filed 17 counts of fraud against Armitage who allegedly bilked newlywed couples out of about $2,000 each between 2000 and 2002. The city attorney claims Armitage allegedly promised deluxe wedding photography packages and then didn’t provide the promised goods. The complaint lists 17 separate couples who allege that Armitage collected money from them but didn’t provide photos of their wedding or never showed up to the wedding at all — an allegation Armitage denies. There are an additional 23 couples who the city attorney claims were conned by Armitage. The city attorney’s office said it will seek restitution for them.
Armitage, who declined further comment, said she asked her public defender to release a statement explaining her side of the case. The public defender’s office did not return calls Monday.
But Philip Deco, a past client of Armitage’s who showed up in court on Monday looking for his negatives from his 2001 wedding, said Armitage told him she thinks the city has a vendetta against her.
The city attorney’s office declined to comment on the case or Armitage’s allegations.
Armitage has admitted she made a few bad business decisions in the past, but said the city unnecessarily seized all of her property and is now refusing to give any of it back while they build a case against her.
When they seized the contents of her office, city officials told Armitage to direct clients seeking pictures to the city attorney’s office, Deco said. But when Armitage’s clients contacted the city looking for their pictures, Deco said the city tried to sign them on to the lawsuit rather than return any of the confiscated items.
Deco said the city attorney’s office called him late last year and requested he join the lawsuit, despite that he told city officials that Armitage had delivered everything as promised so far.
“I can testify to that,” said Deco, who grew nervous after he was contacted by the city attorney and decided to retrieve the negatives on his own. “But I said ‘no’ because (Armitage) hadn’t done wrong by us.”
Armitage, who is involved in a separate bankruptcy proceeding and has two unpaid small claims judgments against her, told the Daily Press last year that the criminal complaint was brought against her only after she demanded her property be returned if no charges were going to be filed.
“This is a matter of me getting behind on a couple of albums,” she said. “This is not a matter of me criminally not delivering on promised goods.”
Paul Cohen, Armitage’s bankruptcy attorney, called the city’s criminal charges “ridiculous” and said he thinks the matter should be pursued in a civil courtroom.
“The city down there has got it out for her,” Cohen said. “She got a little behind and now her hands are tied. What can she do?”
“The city down there has got it out for her. She got a little behind and now her hands are tied. What can she do?” — — PAUL COHEN Bankruptcy attorney
If convicted, Armitage faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $2,700 in fines and penalties for each of the 17 counts of grand theft, according to the city attorney’s office.
City attorneys wouldn’t say if they would seek jail time but did say they were discussing a plea offer.
-Paul Cohen, Bankruptcy Attorney
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 4, 2003. Read the original PDF.