Loges files new suit against Prosser

By Drew Foster, Herald staff writer

PROSSER -- Longtime city critic Larry Loges claims the city of Prosser violated his constitutional rights in 2006 when trailers displaying anti-city government messages were removed from his Wine Country Road property.

Loges has filed a civil lawsuit just months after his public records dispute with the city was settled out of court in mid-July.

The lawsuit alleges that Loges' First, Fourth and 14th amendment rights were violated when a trailer was removed from his property in September and October 2006. The suit filed in U.S. District Court seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The city of Prosser, former Mayor Linda Lusk, former City Administrator Fred Stouder, Police Chief Patrick McCullough, police officers Nick Letourneau and Ed Blackburn and reserve officer Dave Driscoll are named in the suit.

Prosser City Attorney Howard Saxton referred questions about the lawsuit to the city's insurance pool, Cities Insurance Association of Washington, which declined to talk about the case.

Loges' lawsuit claims Prosser police officers entered his Wine Country Road property twice and removed the trailers his signs were painted on "with no notice to Mr. Loges and without the opportunity for Mr. Loges to be heard." The lawsuit goes on to say the trailers were "placed on locked city property" and that "Mr. Loges was denied access to his personal property despite continued requests for access."

Court documents say Loges suffered "severe emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation, injury to reputation and out of pocket fees and costs to obtain the return of his property."

"I'm hoping to finally get vindication because the city continues to violate my rights and do things illegally," Loges told the Herald on Tuesday.

In mid-July, the Prosser City Council voted to settle a public records lawsuit Loges filed in 2007. The city paid Loges $175,000 to settle the lawsuit, which claimed the city delayed, ignored or improperly filed 41 public records requests Loges made in 2006.

After the city approved the settlement in July, Loges hinted at the possibility of filing another lawsuit. Loges said Tuesday that he's still having trouble getting public documents from the city and suggested another public records lawsuit may be in the works.

"To me, it's a conspiracy between the mayor, the city administrator and the code enforcement officer to continue to harass me because I request documents from the city," he said.

"Guess what? It's going to happen again," he said, referring to another public records lawsuit.

City Administrator Charlie Bush said the city has accommodated Loges' most recent public records requests and described the city as being "very responsive."

In response to Loges' conspiracy allegation, Bush said, "I find that to be completely false."

-- Drew Foster: 585-7207; dfoster@tricityherald.com

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Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009

Loges files new suit against Prosser

By Drew Foster, Herald staff writer