Armen Yousoufian's Blog

After 30 years in business/investment real estate, I added "citizen activist" to my resume in 1997 when I requested sports stadium documents of King County Executive Ron Sims. After being "stonewalled", I sued, winning more at every stage, up to the state Supreme Court. Documents disgorged by Sims (after 4 years denying they existed!) revealed rigged studies. Sims misled the public on the stadiums. Other issues found me (e.g. Critical Areas Ordinance). Google “Armen Yousoufian” for more.

About Me

Name:
Location: Vashon, Washington, United States

I was born and raised in New York City. I took classical violin lessons for 10 years and studied astronomy. I built telescopes, grinding the mirrors from scratch. I was a nerd! I considered a career in classical violin but chose astrophysics. I majored in Physics at Rutgers University for 2 years, then switched and graduated in mechanical engineering. I moved to Seattle in 1969 to work on missiles for Boeing, got an MBA from Seattle University, and became a business and real estate entrepreneur for over 30 years. In 1997 I became involved in open government activism when I asked King County Executive Ron Sims for sports stadium documents. I was stonewalled. I sued under the Open Records, or Public Disclosure, Act. I won the case in King County Superior Court, but still didn’t get all the documents, nor recovered my legal fees, which the law said I was entitled to be reimbursed. I appealed and won more in the Court of Appeals and the court of public opinion. But I still didn’t get all the documents! I appealed again and won yet more in the Washington State Supreme Court. But I still don’t have all the documents! While that fight goes on I have become involved in new issues.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Feb 6, 2007: Seattle Times' latest article on court victory

Link to, and text of, latest article in Seattle Times re: Monday, February 5, Court of Appeals decision in my favor is below:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003558713_disclosure06m.html

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - 12:00 AM
Court wants bigger fine for King county
By Seattle Times staff
King County must pay more than the $123,000 fine set by a trial judge over County Executive Ron Sims' failure to comply with the state Public Disclosure Act, the state Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
The decision, written by Judge Kenneth Grosse, said the penalty imposed by Superior Court Judge Michael Hayden was "unsustainable" and remanded the case to the trial judge to set "an appropriate penalty." It's the second time the Court of Appeals has insisted the fine be raised.
The case, closely watched by government agencies and advocates for openness in government, has been in the courts since 2000, when Seattle businessman Armen Yousoufian accused Sims' office of foot-dragging on Yousoufian's 1997 request for documents relating to public financing of Qwest Field.
Former King County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Learned initially found Sims' office "grossly negligent" and ordered the county to pay the minimum $5 fine for each day it failed to produce batches of documents. The state Public Disclosure Act allows fines up to $100 per day.
The Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court both ruled Learned's $5-a-day fine was too low and told the trial court to reconsider.
Hayden raised the fine to $15 a day and ordered the county to pay Yousoufian's legal costs of about $250,000.
The appeals court remanded the case to Hayden and gave him guidelines for setting a higher fine.
Sims' spokeswoman Carolyn Duncan could not be reached about whether the county is considering an appeal.
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

posted by Armen Yousoufian | 11:01 PM

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