Triggering Event for Allegations
Mr. Vera Jr. was stopped by the police on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004, on suspicion of a late registration for his vehicle. Ultimately, he was charged with misdemeanor drug possession and later pleaded guilty. Ms. Keyantash, a veteran officer, charged that at the scene Mr. Vera Sr., then the Vice Mayor, used the political authority of his office to intimidate her. Mr. Vera later told this newspaper that police planted the drugs on his son, a statement for which he apparently apologized subsequently, in writing, to the Police Dept. Ms. Brown said Mr. Vera’s assertion that a “political motivation” lies at the heart of this matter “suggests that the city could be more involved in this case than if Mr. Vera merely were acting as a father,” who arrived at the scene in the spirit of a father riding to the rescue of a son. “Mr. Vera was saying that his actions were done as a city official,” Ms. Brown said, implying that “the (alleged) actions of Ms. Keyantash were done because of the position he had in the city.” Ms. Brown said such a statement “would seem to tie the city more into this case. That way, Mr. Vera would not be out there on his own.”
One Interpretation
A legal source told this newspaper that if Mr. Vera successfully makes the claim he was acting at the scene as an official of Culver City, he will have prevailed twice in the case with arguably competing claims. Earlier when the District Attorney was making a judgment of Mr. Vera’s behavior at the crime scene, the D.A.’s office absolved the Vice Mayor of blame on the grounds that he was acting as a father. “And so,” Ms. Brown said, “the real question is, was Mr. Vera acting on behalf of the city or was he acting as an individual.”
(To be continued)
