McGuireWoods assisted the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) in securing a federal court victory for unhoused individuals who challenged the city’s practices regarding seizure and disposal of their property.
In a Feb. 12, 2026, ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found that discovery issues and evidentiary concerns warranted the rare step of issuing terminating sanctions, ending the long-running case in favor of the plaintiffs — six unhoused individuals and the community organization Ktown for All.
The case, Garcia v. City of Los Angeles, centered on the constitutionality of the city’s practices of seizing and destroying unhoused individuals’ property during encampment cleanups. The plaintiffs filed suit in 2019 alleging that the city’s actions resulted in the loss of property such as medications, identifying documents, personal hygiene supplies and work-related tools that are critical to securing employment and permanent housing.
Judge Dale S. Fischer issued a preliminary injunction in 2020 barring enforcement of an ordinance provision that allowed the city to seize and destroy certain belongings it deemed to be “bulky items.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld that order a year later. The case then stalled over disputes about the accuracy of the city’s records.
In 2024, Judge Fischer found that Los Angeles city officials altered evidence to support the city’s defense and failed to produce certain documents requested during discovery. The plaintiffs then argued that terminating sanctions were warranted because of the city’s conduct and the judge agreed, ending the case without a trial.
McGuireWoods served as pro bono co-counsel for the plaintiffs along with LAFLA; Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes LLP; the UCLA School of Law’s Human Rights Litigation Clinic; and Kirkland & Ellis.
The McGuireWoods team included partners Nicholas Hoffman and Gregory Evans and associates Deleyla Lawrence, Kelsey Haines, Aria Hangval and Emily Stenger. Anne Bentley McCray and Renee Varmer from the firm’s Discovery Counsel Services/E-Discovery Practice Group and partner Matt Fitzgerald also assisted.
“We hope this ruling marks a turning point toward more accountable, efficient and truly effective practices to address homelessness in Los Angeles,” Hoffman said.