Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of theft by embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest for allegedly voting on projects involving developers tied to his wife's consulting firm, then failing to report the connections.
Price entered his plea after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Richman rejected the defense's legal challenge to the 10 charges against the councilman.
Defense attorneys contended in a court filing that the five counts of grand theft by embezzlement against Price are "barred by the statute of limitations." The defense also contends that the allegations in the complaint are "insufficient to allege a crime" involving the two conflict-of-interest charges, and that the facts stated in the complaint involving the three perjury charges do not constitute a public offense."
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The prosecution has countered that the defense's challenge should be denied.
Deputy District Attorney Casey Higgins wrote in his response that the defense's challenge was "unsupported by the law and meritless."
He added that the prosecution is not barred by the statute of limitations because "the prosecution was initially commenced on June 13, 2023, which was within four years after the completion of the offenses" involving five of the challenged charges.
Price is due back in court March 1, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial. The case was filed last June against Price, with his arraignment being postponed at four court hearings since then.
Price, 73, has maintained his innocence and is free on his own recognizance.
He has represented the Ninth District, which includes most of South Los Angeles and Exposition Park, since 2013. He previously served in the state Assembly and state Senate.
The criminal complaint alleges that Price effectively embezzled money between 2013 and 2017 by having the city cover roughly $33,800 in medical premiums for Del Richardson, to whom he claimed to be married, although he was still married at the time to Lynn Suzette Price.
After his initial court appearance in July, Price issued a statement saying, "We are looking forward to engaging with the DA in the coming weeks and we are grateful that the court has given us time to do so. I want to thank my constituents and the entire city of Los Angeles for the outpouring of support I have received and I look forward to continuing to do the people's business."
"As we said when the charges were brought, we believe that the charges filed by the DA's office are completely unwarranted and that the facts will bear this out. I have always conducted myself, in and out of the public eye, with integrity and professionalism."
Price sent a letter that afternoon to Council President Paul Krekorian announcing his decision to step down as council president pro tem, and surrendering all of his committee assignments.
Price returned last Aug. 8 to City Hall for the first time since he had been charged, entering the council's chambers with a business-as-usual approach and with little to no disruption from those in attendance. During the public comment period that day, a few members of the public openly criticized Price's return, mostly saying he should not be voting at all.
If convicted, Price could face a sentence ranging from probation to roughly eight to 10 years behind bars, the prosecutor said outside court following a brief hearing in July.
Price is the latest Los Angeles city official to fall into legal or political turmoil. Former council members Jose Huizar and Mitch Englander have both pleaded guilty to federal charges in recent years, while Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted last year of federal charges for trading votes during his time on the county Board of Supervisors in exchange for benefits provided by USC to his son.
Former City Council President Nury Martinez resigned in 2022 after being caught on tape in a racially charged conversation with two other council members and a county labor official, discussing the council's redistricting process.
