Manufacturing News

When Mr. Vera more or less retired from the City Council two months ago, he abjured reporters and others not to forget him, to drop by the ethnic market he and Ursula have operated since the early 1960s. Even if we tried to forget him, we couldn’t. He hasn’t let us. His family has become a one-stop newsmaking machine. Used to be, when Culver City was a one-newspaper town, that the newspaper searched for reasons on a weekly basis to rationalize mention of the community’s perceived No.1 citizen. Now, it only is necessary to spread your arms wide as the Vera news pours in over the transom.

Why No Charges Were Filed

The police officer’s lawsuit stems from a confrontation with Mr. Vera, a City Councilman at the time his son, Albert Jr., was stopped by Culver City police on a Saturday morning two years ago this summer. Last year, the County District Attorney concluded that when Mr. Vera Sr. physically involved himself in the encounter between his son and police, that he was reacting in the way that a caring father might be expected to conduct himself. Therefore, no charges would be filed against the politician who, by that time, had become the Mayor of Culver City.

Practicing Restraint

In the era of continuous news cycles, on television and the Internet, readers and viewers have become accustomed to seeing a parade of lawyers make spectacular proclamations on behalf of their clients or against their opponents. Not in the Vera case, even though it is ripe with potential volatility.  Speculation is rampant but the facts are scarce. Win or lose, the case against Mr. Vera is being handled with a level of dignity that has become rare enough to warrant remarking. Terry Goldberg, Ms. Keyantash’s counsel, wins the respect of clients by remaining stoic on the sidelines, resisting the temptation to utter any comment that could be interpreted as inflammatory. Not even a hypersensitive opponent could be offended by two generic statements he made in the early going. “If (our law firm) weren’t around to protect the little guy, he would be stepped on,” was the first statement. Mr. Goldberg also said that in 34 years of practicing law, he never has attempted to predict the future. Neither will we.