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.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Decision today from state Supreme Court

The state Supreme Court released its latest decision today in my case.

It was a 5 to 4 decision. Once again, and for the 7th time in 7 court rounds, it was in my favor.

This time the state Supreme Court set guidelines for future decisions, and set the amount of the fine in my case - at $45 per day. That daily penalty, multiplied by the number of days and number of documents withheld, amounted to a penalty of about $371,000.

Still, I never received all the documents I requested in 1997.

Link to majority opinion:

http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/index.cfm?fa=opinions.showOpinion&filename=800812MAJ

Link to minority (dissenting) opinion:

http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/index.cfm?fa=opinions.showOpinion&filename=800812Di1

These links may only be good for two weeks from today, and if I fail to update them in a timely manner, please search at www.courts.wa.gov and look for a decision in Yousoufian vs. Sims, or the case number 80081-2, for today's date.

posted by Armen Yousoufian | 6:32 PM

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