Bell mayor says D.A. overcharging him for copies of documents

The embattled mayor of Bell has filed motions in court alleging that the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is overcharging him hundreds of dollars for getting copies of legal documents and prosecution interviews.

Mayor Oscar Hernandez’s lawyer called it “billing on steroids,” borrowing a phrase from Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, who described the alleged crimes committed by Hernandez and other current or former Bell city leaders as “corruption on steroids.”

Hernandez, who made nearly $100,000 a year until The Times revealed how much he and other part-time city politicians were earning, is charged with misappropriating millions of dollars in public money, as are virtually all of the current council members.

Stanley L. Friedman, Hernandez’s attorney, filed a motion Tuesday asking that the cost of duplicating CDs and DVDs charged by the prosecutor be lowered.

Friedman said the $712.60 price tag charged to defendants for 26 recorded interviews was unreasonable and more than six times the amount of an earlier case.

“To cop a phrase, this is billing on steroids,” Friedman said.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said that the cost of duplicating materials covers staff labor and that it was not unusual for duplicated recordings to sometimes cost several hundred dollars.

Gibbons said prices were available from sound lab personnel who would not be in the office until Friday. Friedman also asked the court for an evidentiary hearing on the copying costs. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

-- Corina Knoll

Comments

[J.H Brown]

LOL, and LOL

[Kittybarfola]

Hernandez is a fool. He's complaining about the fee? I guess he has to raise more taxes in Bell to pay the minuscule $712.60. He and his other corrupt cronies should be thrown in prison and make them pay everything back.

[shadowpark]

He must be able to afford it this must be his ploy to avoid prosecution he will find no sympathy this joker needs a healthy jail sentence and to forfeit all his wages!!

[Pizzedoff]

Oh, oh, oh...! Is this so choice or what?
Hernandez and Mob were literally and relentlessly robbing the citizens of Bell of their First Born to pave their ways to the 'Golden City' and now they're whining that Karma is paying back like a bitch!
"Hey no mas el Jefe, go take your complaint to the Buddah, maybe he can explain the process to you"!

[bobb-e]

Sounds like the Republicans complaining about Obama

[E. Jones]

If the DA's office and Mr. Hernandez were up to date on the Public Records Act, they would know that teh DA's office may not legally charge for the staffing costs and may only charge for the legitimate cost of the materials only. Check it out with the Public Records instrutors for your offices, LA DA.

[Olden_Atwoody]

Won't the City pay for this?

[Mark]

Of course a government office is overbilling! Everybody knows you can make copies of DVD & CD files for literally pennies. All you need is a computer and a $10 box of blank discs. But this is California government. Do you really expect them not to mark up the bill 1000% because of all the overpaid overstaffed beaurocrats??? Why do you think the state is on the verge of ruin?

[Carlos]

They charge that so they can pay staff to make a copy? Isnt staff already being paid by our tax dollars? Are they trying to double dip? Pay staff and then get re-imbursed by defendants? So where in then does that money go? Sounds like a Frank Hauptmann idea.

[Resident of Bell]

The cost probably covers the translation too. Considering Hernandez thought he was responsible enough to be a mayor and not even be capable of reading English.
He dug himself this hole I hope he has a very difficult time getting out.

[mayor of heliotrope]

the city of bell had no problem charging me 400 hundred dollars + for info i reqested. i could not afford it, but hernandez stole enough that he should be able to.