L.A. businessman agrees to remove Hollywood supergraphic

After spending three days in jail, a Pacific Palisades businessman agreed Monday to take down an eight-story supergraphic advertisement that was wrapped around a prominent Hollywood office building.

Kayvan Setareh, 49, reached an agreement with Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich that lowered his bail from $1 million to $100,000 in exchange for the sign’s removal. He is accused of violating the city’s sign law by installing the supergraphic -- a vinyl or plastic sign that can be draped across one or more sides of a building -- without a permit.

Setareh’s arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court was postponed to March 30. His lawyer, Andrew M. Stein, criticized Judge Mildred Escobedo for agreeing to the original bail amount.

Stein said he did not believe the sign posed any hazard, as city prosecutors allege.

“I don’t think my client’s sign endangered the public any more than the other signs that have been put up and down Sunset Boulevard over the last 10 years -- permitted or unpermitted,” he said.

Last week’s arrest was by far the most aggressive move by Trutanich in his campaign against unapproved outdoor advertising. Lawyers in Trutanich’s office have argued that the supergraphic posed a threat to public safety, saying the heavy vinyl could fall on motorists and pedestrians if it was not properly reviewed by city inspectors.

Neighborhood activists have long complained that outdoor advertising companies violate the city’s sign laws with impunity, reaping millions of dollars in revenue. Dennis Hathaway, president of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight, described Monday’s proceedings as “the dawn of a new day.”

“This is certainly sending a very strong message to these companies that you can’t just put out a big illegal sign anywhere you want,” he said.

Setareh is scheduled to be released by Monday night. Removal of the sign is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.

-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Comments

[Jay G]

When will the owner of the illegal Fuel billboards be spending three days in jail?

These law breakers who constantly snub their nose at the citizens of this city need to be jailed. It will make them change their perspective and their actions.

[exitLA]

This is what you spend your time and money on out there? Well we're not bailing your ass (ohps no cussing week) out when you finally go broke..We're going to wrap the border back around you and let you fall back into the cease pool from where you came...

[Mike]

This is a classic example of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. Bail should not be used punitively as it was in this case. Bail is designed to guarantee that the defendant arrives in court when required. While the sign is obviously illegal and unpermitted the DA and the judge stoop to the criminal level and tarnish the whole judicial process. Due process my a$$

[KK]

One million bail? Gang banger in murders and cop killer don't even get one million bail. The walk free. Good job for driving business away from Los Angeles.

[Jane]

I agree, lock them up and make them pay. The use of ads like this - especially the blinding, flashing ones is a crime. They are devaluing and overutilizing public resources for their private profits. These should be heavily regulated and all profits should be taxed off to towards the public benefit.

[shawn]

It is most certainly "the dawn of a new day", citizens being arrested at their home for hanging a sign on their property...

[Patrick]

Fantastic. In the gang capital of the world, our city attorney has made it his mission to wage war on unapproved outdoor advertising.....

Our city leaders need to get their priorities straight.

[LL]

Finally the city is doing something about this mess! The only thing that would make me happier (in this case) is to see Setareh in an orange vest taking down the sign himself.

[Peter]

Go Trutanich! Thank you! Finally we have someone who will enforce the law, and not let the rich and powerful get away with screwing over everyone else - like our Mayor and City Council do. Keep going Trutanich!

[david]

Setting bail at a Million Bucks for what is legally a misdeameanor IS prosecutorial misconduct, clearly designed to grandstand and make a name for himself as "tough" like he did demanding $6 million Bucks without a legal basis or financial proof of a number of AEG over the Jackson Memorial. Bad for the image of doing business in this city when you have a prosecutor who is so erratic and selectively punitive.

While I agree that supergraphics are a nuisance and public safety hazard, the claim this one of all of them would possibly fall on someone is unconvincing, when there are far more serious threats in this city, including poorly built homes on weak hillsides, and shoddy and badly maintained things all over. the biggest threat is that the windows are sealed in the event of fire so they should all be banned - but picking on this one owner to make a point is just random. Threatening to jail Councilwoman Jan Perry for speaking up for AEG on another issue is bizarrre, and so is his refusing to settle with lawyer for Laura Chick-Wendy Greuel when he promised to uphold their views in order to get their endorsement, then he calls lawyer Woocher a loser!

He's like his enabler Cooley in filing dozens of felony warrants on a medical dispensary owner in Venice just to single him out because he dared to follow the City Council's ordinance instead of the Cooley-Trutanich rightwing view that all dispensary exchanges of money are illegal. What he did to former eccentic mayoral candidate Craig X Rubin, who also relied on city ordinance over their interpretation, jailing him and putting him into financial ruin selectively, also fits the same bill.

I am personally afraid of these 2 guys, NOT because I broke the law but because of the selectiveness and apparent grandstanding to their rightwing Republican base that takes precedence over impartial application of the law.

[Anonymous]

Nothing like a strip search to knock sense into realities of life.

[Zach]

You know, I somehow think L.A. has enough lawyers and police to go after gang-bangers AND white-collar offenders like Setarah. The way ome people talk about this incident, you'd think we lived in Mayberry and have only two cops to go around. Ridiculous!

[florencio gutierrez, jr]

BRAVO !!! Job will done. But is this good to our dwindling economy. Violators received the penalty okey. Is their in any way to legalize the illegal supergraphic sign ? Our city now are in the Budget-crush. We need support from Private Sector. This is the time to act wisely. Sign/ supergraphic signs with proper update, coordination, monitoring & design, we can help the Business enterprise & in return, help our economy. To much deregulation can not help us.

[Gilman]

Sorry no misconduct here. The amount of bail was appropriate considering the defendants ability to access large sums of money and flee the jurisdiction. Posting this type of bail absolutely guaranteed the defendant arriving in court.

The city attorney does not prosecute "gang bangers" that is for the District Attorney to work on......the city attorney instead goes after folks that choose to ignore our codes and building requirements (as well as other issues)

Go Trutanich......you are doing exactly what you said you would do when running for office, nice to see some straight speak from someone in an elected position.

[Matt Rackham]

Why do all the commenters seem to think this was done instead of some other law enforcement activity?

Perhaps Trutanich and his department are capable of doing more than one thing at a time. It's not such a strange concept to many of us.

[Jim Townes]

Its about time - these people are defiantly disobeying the law so now this guy gets what he had coming and oh yeah he agreed to take the sign down so I guess it worked - where telling him please take it down didn't seem to do the trick.

If these people (and others like the marijuana dispensaries) think city hall is inept and will never come after them, then we need to start arresting them to give the law some teeth.

[Liam]

Lawyers get paid to say stupid things. Still, saying that other signs legal or ILLEGAL posed no hazard is no excuse for erecting one when it's against the law. The paid mouthpiece could have come up with a better excuse at least.

The name of the CEO (and likely founder) of Fuel Outdoor is Mike Freedman. Since there are so many possible Mike Freedman's reference the name against "Fuel Outdoor" and "Pacific Media."

I see someone criticizing the bail amount. Mr. Setareh stated his intention to place a sign there and was sent a cease and desist letter by the city attorney. Mr. Setareh chose to ignore the warning.

The bail wasn't too high; it was too low.

Mr. Setarah intends to put two digital billboards on that building as well. Better go look at it 670 Hollywood Boulevard before it's obliterated with crap.

Finally the city attorney has decided to "wage war" on advertisers because;

1. The citizens are fed up with these things. It makes our city look like one big billboard.
2. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld cities rights to regulate these things.

On a personal note I love this city. I can't stand to see it painted top to bottom with garish "anything for a buck" crap that has no useful function but to advertise a movie that MIGHT get a run of a few weeks.

In the meantime I can't admire the building (in this case built in 1928) that this technicolor excrement is now hiding. And if Mr. Setareh gets his way there will be two huge digital billboards hanging off of it.

[ed]

A million dollar bail for 3 misdemenors seems a little extreme. Futhermore, $100,000 bail also seems a little extreme as well.

[Shawdog]

I often find myself disagreeing with Trutanich but on this one he got it right. Supergraphics and flashing digital billboards are destroying the quality of life in this city, and the City Council was right in reining them in. Anyone who complains that this is only a minor problem clearly doesn't have a digital billboard shining into their bedroom.

[Gaucho420]

What a joke. Trutanich is truly the worst kind of individual there is, one who abuses his power to create a sense that he's the boss of everyone else, for every topic. As a tax payer in Los Angeles, I find this waste of time yet another reason to not vote for Mr. T again.

[SCTom]

Carmen Trutanich clearly needs to reorganize his priorities. If he just wants his name in the newspaper and on TV, then he should partner up with Gloria Alred. Otherwise, how about chasing down some real crime - and it's not that hard to find as there is lots of it. A million dollar bail for an illegal sign is a REAL STRETCH. Armed robbery suspects don't even warrant that kind of money. Maybe cable TV will pick up the idea and let Carmen star in a new TV drama.

[jerry]

go arrest the property owner and mike mcnelly from skytag that is putting the new supergraphics up on the building @ wilshire blvd and highland south facing wall!!!! then go arrested the property owner on melrose and seward who just allowed fuel outdoor to put up 2 new panels on the property yesterday...... then go arrest the guys that cut down a palm tree in front of clear channels billboard off the 110 fwy last thursday. when are people going to understand they can't control everything. except change because its going to happen. ts the future

[Finally]

Here's what is refreshing: Trutanich made this precise promise during his campaign. He said he would put people who break the law in jail. That's what he promised and that is what he did.

Imagine, a politician doing EXACTLY what he promised to do. If every politician had the same follow-through we would all be in far better shape.

One can only imagine how many other illegal signs are coming down this week. You can also be sure that every other person or corporation who has been ignoring sign laws (or any other laws) will be rethinking their strategy thanks to our City Attorney.

[Steve]

Woo hoo! Go Carmen! This is why we elected you! Thank you for holding these greedy scofflaw building owners accountable and that they, nor anyone, is above the law.

[Jay]

"Lawyers in Trutanich’s office have argued that the supergraphic posed a threat to public safety,..."

Trutanich, poses a threat to public safety. Wasting time and money on supergraphics and dispensaries. Grand standing to a few rich special interests to get re-elected.

Stop wasting our money.

Trutanich you are acting like a politician Aren't you "better" than them- MR. City Attorney.