By Daily Press staff
A local wedding photographer who pleaded no contest to four counts of grand theft in May is expected to return to court today.
Juli Anne Armitage will meet with Deputy City Attorney Adam Radinsky and Public Defender Kerry Golub to discuss how much she owes her former clients in restitution.
The Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office filed 17 counts of grand theft against Armitage in December, alleging she took an average of $2,000 from dozens of local couples and failed to deliver their wedding pictures.
After missing a handful of court dates, Armitage was taken into custody on a bench warrant in April and spent 12 days in jail.
She worked out a plea that required her to return all the missing photos and precluded her from paying any money to the courts. Armitage, who had the four counts against her reduced to one because she cooperated with prosecutors, must now determine how much restitution she owes to her former clients.
Armitage has said she was unfairly targeted by the City Attorney’s Office, who seized her property and refused to return it before filing the charges against her. She said she was a victim of bad bookkeeping and nothing more.
The case is being heard at the Santa Monica Courthouse by Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins.
Learn about the costs of the Patriot Act
By Daily Press staff
Public officials and interfaith leaders will come together next month to hear the experiences of people who have been affected by the recently passed Patriot Act.
Organized by the Applied Research Center and dozens of churches, community organizations and labor unions, Los Angeles residents will discuss how they’ve been affected by new Homeland Security policies like the act, “special registration,” and increased enforcement of the 1996 Immigration Act.
The “Public’s Truth” is a community forum to share real stories of how the war on terrorism and national security have impacted the lives of immigrants, refugees and communities of color.
The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the First AME Renaissance Center, located at 1968 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles.
Personal testimonies provided by (partial list):
• A Korean family whose father died in detention after arrest for minor visa violations.
• A Muslim leader whose mosque was targeted for surveillance by the FBI.
• A Somali man whose family was separated by “Special Registration” requirements.
• Mexican workers unjustly fired based on use of national security procedures.
• Pakistanis who made exodus to Canadian border due to fear of persecution.
• Punjabi high school student forced to switch schools to escape hate crimes.
• A Japanese American minister reminded of conditions that led to WWII internment.
The panel includes:
• Maxine Waters, U.S. House of Representative
• Martin Ludlow, Los Angeles City Council
• Rev. Chip Murray, First AME
• Maria Elena Durazo, Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Local 11
• Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County
• Bishop Charles Blake, West Angeles COGIC
The Applied Research Center is a public policy research and advocacy institute focusing on issues of race, racism and racial justice. Founded in 1981 as an initiative to bridge efforts between analysts and activists, ARC has worked with a wide variety of social change organizations, key activists, researchers and policy advocates.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 20, 2003. Read the original PDF.