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  1. #1
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    Illegal alien,convicted felon makes a living suing small bus

    Man sues hundreds over disability violations
    Tuesday, September 07, 2010



    David Ono

    LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Litigation to make a living is a growing profession of sorts. Eyewitness News has been investigating lawsuits based on alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, meant to protect the disabled. But critics say the lawsuits filed by professional plaintiffs are more about greed than helping the disabled.

    Alfredo Garcia, a paraplegic who has been in a wheelchair since 1996, is a serial plaintiff. The 41-year-old illegal immigrant and convicted felon makes a living suing small businesses in Southern California for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and its California equivalent.

    His days are spent going from business to business looking for violations like a bathroom mirror or a paper-towel dispenser that's too high.

    Garcia did not want to talk to Eyewitness News about the more than 500 lawsuits he's filed.

    "The Americans with Disabilities Act is not a new law," said Morse Mehrban, Garcia's attorney. "It's been 20 years since this law went into effect and they've had ample opportunity to bring their premises into minimal compliance."

    So is Garcia a crusader for the rights of disabled people? Or is he just out for a quick buck? It depends who you ask.

    "We knew right away it was a scam -- it was something like he just wanted to get some money," said Martin Del Campo, co-owner of La Casita Mexicana restaurant in Bell.

    Garcia sued La Casita, saying its bathroom mirror was too high. He claimed he ate at La Casita four times, but surveillance video from those four dates shows no one in a wheelchair visiting the bathroom, which has a full-length mirror attached to the door.

    Garcia was shown the surveillance video but he did not even recognize the restaurant as being La Casita. Garcia and his attorney quickly agreed to drop the case.

    "Mr. Garcia targets small mom-and-pop-type businesses," said paralegal Daniel Munoz, who helped defend the La Casita case and investigated Garcia's background.

    "Mr. Garcia became disabled because he fell out of an avocado tree while intoxicated. Mr. Garcia has felonies, one for selling weapons, one for selling crack, one for vehicular burglary," he added.

    In a 2009 sworn deposition, Garcia admitted to violating his probation by snorting cocaine and smoking pot. He also admitted that he's not a U.S. citizen, doesn't have a green card and bought two Social Security cards off the street.

    "We knew this was just legal extortion," said attorney Arthur Barens.

    Barens took that deposition while representing El Ceviche Loco. During a break, Garcia asked to use the restroom at Barens' office.

    "He came in and used the men's room, but the real purpose of it was to measure our sink and the toilet height and height of the safety rails for the handicapped just to determine if he could find a violation," said Barens.

    Garcia then filed a lawsuit against the attorney as well, but later dropped the case.

    No one disputes the value of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but some say plaintiffs like Garcia aren't acting in the spirit of the law.

    "You're seeing someone whose full-time job, if we can call it that, is to sue," said attorney Ryan McNamara, who defended El Pollo Loco against an Alfredo Garcia lawsuit.

    In a deposition, Garcia admitted the lawsuits help to pay his bills and that he feels "lucky" whenever he finds an alleged violation.


    "He's simply bounty hunting," said McNamara. "And that's why he feels lucky because every time he finds one of these things he believes he just found another lawsuit and an easy way to profit."

    "I challenge anyone to come and sit in a wheelchair and go around with one of my clients every day and see if they still think these lawsuits are frivolous at the end of the day," said Garcia's attorney, Mehrban.

    Mehrban specializes in this type of litigation. He has a roster of clients who all file similar ADA-related lawsuits.




    http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=7655664

  2. #2
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    Mehrban specializes in this type of litigation. He has a roster of clients who all file similar ADA-related lawsuits.
    Another piece of scum who enables illegal aliens for their own greedy profit.

    What he has in essence is a freelance case seeker to help him bring in business that they both share in the profits in.

    As the one paralegal quoted "legal extortion".

    Now that he has given a legal deposition admitting he is in the country illegally, he meets the criteria of ICE "criminal aliens" status, he should be wheeled up into a van and transported directly to a detention facility where he can inspect ICE facilities for ADA compliance while waiting on his deportation.

    But instead I am sure he is collecting various taxpayer benefits and supplementing his income with proceeds from lawsuits.

    The attorney needs to be tar'd and featherd and run out of town..or even better...deported to the same country as this illegal alien.

    Just sickening to read this kind of stuff.
    "Where is our democracy if the federal government can break the laws written and enacted by our congress on behalf of the people?"

  3. #3
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    Why is this piece of scum bucket still in this country!
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  4. #4
    Senior Member ExCaliGal's Avatar
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    I wish I wish I wish someone would stick him in a car take him to mexico and yank that wheelchair out from under him and let him get mauled by his people..
    Im tired of being the victim of illegals .

  5. #5
    Administrator Jean's Avatar
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    This is sooooooo wrong.

    Why is this convicted felon, drug using, illegal with 2 social security #'s he bought off the street allowed to file 500 lawsuits....why is he still in our country? The Twilight Zone continues....
    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

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