Brief

This file documents City Attorney oversight of Pimentel v. City of Los Angeles, a federal civil rights lawsuit (CV14-01371-FMO) pending in United States District Court. The City Attorney submits periodic reports to track litigation status and strategy. Council discussed the matter in closed session on November 12, 2025, and voted unanimously 15-0 to instruct legal counsel on litigation strategy. The most recent City Attorney report was submitted in August 2026 and remains pending in Budget and Finance Committee.

Full summary

Pimentel v. City of Los Angeles is a federal lawsuit that has been pending in U.S. District Court (Central District, Case No. CV14-01371-FMO) since 2014. At its core, the case is a constitutional challenge to the City's practice of imposing a $63 late fee on motorists who fail to pay parking citations on time. The plaintiffs argue this fee raises constitutional concerns, and the case has remained active in federal court for over a decade. This Council file serves as the City's internal tracking mechanism for the litigation and related legal strategy decisions. On November 12, 2025, the Council convened in closed session and voted unanimously 15-0 to instruct legal counsel on how to proceed. That action followed an initial City Attorney report submitted in October 2025 that was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee, which waived consideration in November 2025 before the matter went to the full Council. The most significant recent development is the emergence of a settlement proposal. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, through Chief of Civil Litigation Kathleen Kenealy, submitted a report on August 12, 2026 asking the Council to schedule a closed session to receive legal advice about the settlement proposal. The City Attorney's office is seeking direction from the Council on whether and how to proceed with settling the case. The report was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee on August 13, 2026, where it remains pending. The file is open and does not expire until August 2028. The involvement of the Board of Transportation Commissioners and senior Department of Transportation staff — copied on the City Attorney's August 2026 report — reflects that any settlement or judgment in the case would have direct operational and financial implications for the City's parking enforcement program.

Activity (7)

• 2026-08-13 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-08-13 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated August 12, 2026.
• 2025-11-12 Council discussed the matter in Closed Session and instructed legal counsel with respect to subject litigation.
• 2025-11-07 Budget and Finance Committee waived consideration of item .
• 2025-11-07 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 12, 2025.
• 2025-10-07 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2025-10-07 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated October 6, 2025.

Documents (3)

• 2026-08-12 Report from City Attorney · report
• 2025-11-12 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2025-10-06 Report from City Attorney · report

Council votes (1)

• 2025-11-12 Adopted in Open Session — 15-0-0 · Regular