Thread: Serial plaintiff Alfredo Garcia arrested over immigration

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=8099025

Serial plaintiff Alfredo Garcia arrested over immigration status
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Leanne Suter

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An illegal immigrant and convicted felon who has filed hundreds of lawsuits against small businesses over disability violations has been arrested.

Alfredo Garcia was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is awaiting a hearing with an immigration judge to determine if he has a legal right to remain in the U.S.

Garcia, 41, is a paraplegic and four-time convicted felon. He has been making a living filing lawsuits against Southern California businesses.

Garcia's rash of lawsuits continued up until his arrest. He has filed 24 new lawsuits since Eyewitness News' story came out last year.

"I think it's an extraordinary abuse of the law. The law has a good purpose, and its abuse is outrageous," said attorney Gail Cooper-Folb, who represents dozens of businesses, including Yogurt Stop in West Hollywood, one of Garcia's latest targets.

The lawsuit against Yogurt Stop seeks $5,000 in damages. A coat hook and the height of the mirror in the bathroom of the shop are two alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"The city of West Hollywood has very strict guidelines when it comes to ADA," said Yogurt Stop owner Misti Cooper. "We followed it to the T. Everything in here is done perfectly, until we get to the hook in the bathroom, which seems ludicrous."

Garcia has been called a professional plaintiff, with more than 500 lawsuits and $165,000 in settlements. But his career filing cases may be over now that he's been arrested. Garcia's attorney Morse Mehrban said he didn't know his client's immigration status.

"If the business community had begun complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act...enacted decades ago, they would not be facing legal action from members of the disabled community today," Mehrban said in a statement.

Cooper-Folb said the fight isn't about equal access, it's about money.

"They are in it to threaten business owners with, 'If you fight, you're going to spend more on an attorney then you are if you just pay us, so just pay us.' And most people do it," said Cooper-Folb.

The owners of Yogurt Stop are some of the few who plan on fighting the lawsuit.

it is amazing to me that an illegal alien can sue anyone in the US
since he is here illegally in the first place

I know what you mean Okie seems like they have more rights than we do.The lawyers know hes illegal but they just want the money to represent them its ashame.

The Americans with Disabilities act is for Americans...........not illegal invaders

Alfredo Garcia was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is awaiting a hearing with an immigration judge to determine if he has a legal right to remain in the U.S.

Garcia, 41, is a paraplegic and four-time convicted felon. He has been making a living filing lawsuits against Southern California businesses.

This is where our immigration laws are "broken!" This dirt bag is a 4 time convicted felon ( Has he been previously deported as well?) but still has the opportunity to appear before an immigrations judge to see if he has a legal right to remain in the U.S.!

He should be deported immediately with no hearings, unless he is a previously deported illegal invader, in which he should be arrested and charged with felony re-entry after deportation in a federal criminal court!

put him on a roller bed and ship him out. No payments, not medical. Just deport him and put a toe tag on him saying free to anyone in mexico who wants him.