COMPTON – The city of Compton is facing a lawsuit where a company is alleging former City Attorney, turned City Manager Craig Cornwell, served an improper search warrant to enter and seize marijuana from an alleged illegal dispensary in June 2017. The lawsuit seeks damages for violations of their constitutional rights.
JCJ Corporation filed the lawsuit in August 2017 after former City Attorney Craig Cornwell showed up to their location, with an “inspection warrant”, two months prior.
“My clients believe this alleged inspection warrant was not properly authorized by the court because it lacked an identifiable case number and was not stamped by the court with a corresponding filing date,” said Charles Cummings, attorney for JCJ. “During a hearing, assistant city attorney Jose Paz was unable to produce a copy of the warrant with a case number with a date stamp of the filing, or any receipts for the items seized as required by law.”
2UrbanGirls viewed video of Cornwell serving the inspection warrant which was signed by Judge Kelvin Filer.
The lawsuit describes that prior to the residents voting in 2018 to ban dispensaries, the city was aggressively “raiding” dispensaries where code enforcement employees, who reported directly to the City Attorney, would show up unannounced an begin emptying out the locations. During this time the cities chief building inspector was David Dent.
2UrbanGirls was able to review official email communications between Dent, and one of the owners of the store who confirmed they were making necessary adjustments to their operations, apparently at the request of Dent. The emails were to Dent’s official city email account.
“There were a number of raids taking place where vans would show up, come in and take your weed and money with no legal authority to do so,” said Michael Fletcher, co-owner of JCJ Corporation. “During this same time Michael Kimbrew got arrested for trying to extort money from dispensaries from his office in City Hall. We had no choice but to go to the FBI with our concerns.”
According to emails dated August 1, 2017, Fletcher told Dent, he had completed all of the necessary steps to bring his business into compliance with the city. Dent responded “these are the kinds of emails I like to see”.
Shortly thereafter, Dent was no longer employed with the city and Victor Orozco assumed his position.
The City declined multiple requests for comment.
2UrbanGirls has been provided a copy of a settlement letter, sent to the city’s lawyers, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, who are seeking to settle the matter before the case goes to trial 3/3/2021.
**update 5/17/2022**
This case continues to wind through the legal process as no settlement has been reached, as of now.
Kalunian Letter 12 2 2020
22 Comments
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Just a little known fact: when an officer approaches a judge seeking to secure a search warrant that means he/she has subsequent information of a criminal activity they believe has been committed and therefore they need to collect the evidence to bring forth a case and an arrest is made; saying all that they is no case number nor a court file stamp there is not one until the case is presented to the DA office.
Secondly, don’t bring Judge Flier in you mess!!!!
I know for a fact this administration does not operate correctly, just look at the last eight years with Aja Brown (Trumps niece) she’s always on TV given her spin on how great she is, truth be told she is so immature, hateful, verdictive and a natural born liar.
OMG Craig, you couldn’t represent a clown at a carnival for stealing cotton candy. Damon, please just go take some extension courses at Mc Donald’s.
Michelle, your are an even bigger joke to think the resident are going to vote for your idiot, weed smoking disrespectful , unprofessional liaison.
Both of you are the late Amy Winehouse ……No No I Want Go to Rehab!!!!
According to the top page of the “warrant” the affidavit was signed by Geraldo Ares, Code Enforcement Manager, April 29, 2015. Warrants have expiration dates. Why is the city using a two year old affidavit? So many questions….
Lets see. Article goes live 12/9/2020.
That means three things may happen.
1. Another press release by City Manager Craig ( Aja’s Little Bitch) Dickweed doing more explaining. again
2. Another council closed session on Tuesday . again.
3. Damon “brown turd” Brown is going to start calling lay firms up to represent us. again. His head or face looks like that smiling shit emoji. I swear????
Its like fuckin clockwork.
Marijuana dispensaries have been banned since 2008. Fletcher and Miller have no rights as it relates to a Marijuana dispensary in Compton.. They weren’t suppose to be here in the first place and the minute the judge sees they don’t have a business license to operate this shit will be thrown out of court.. Compton has never given a business license to a Marijuana dispensary.. This is a felonious law suit..
according to David Dent .. they were licensed as Compton’s “only legal marijuana business” and why is Cornwell paying Orozco $150,000 a year for job he cannot have .. bribery
This company’s allegation with documentation it followed the behind the scenes directives of our city Compton to stay open, was subject to raids with improper paperwork from the courts, was the subject of bribes and extortion, lost merchandise and product went unreported or documented, and refers to other dispensaries done similarly indicates illegality on both parts. It’s known as a shakedown. And while citizens want illegal marijuana businesses closed down, we do not want officials doing it improperly, being incompetent in how they do it, leaving the city open to lawsuits, or worse, in doing so, conducting themselves illegally to their own benefit.
Cornwell cuts 50 jobs and pays Victor Orozco $150,000 a year — who doesn’t have a college and can’t have the spot — that is bribery
William Kemp its your nap time!
$2,500,000 a MONTH in damages .. If they win this lawsuit Compton is broker forever .. Craig Cornwell has to go.
OMG….are you kidding me, the dope man has the right to file a lawsuit against the city.
Craig they should bar you from claiming to be a lawyer; you’re a disgrace to the bar association.
My dear people first of all Craig went to judge Flier
for the warrant, and we all know judge Flier is an upright person. Case and point Craig has the the dope man filing a lawsuit against the city, this shows you this administration is incapable of leading flies to shit!!!
How much longer will you residents put up with this bullshit????????♂️
These idiots can’t even bust an illegal operation…Craig Cornwell is so pathetic, he can’t do anything correct. My Lord just quit!!!
This is very interesting stuff. People of Compton stay woke.
1st this story lacks important information and context. First it is illegal to have a Marijuana dispensaries in Compton.. What potential businesses would do is lie about what business they plan to open to the Business department.. When the business permits department found out they really were opening a Marijuana dispensaries they would shut it down.. If a potential business owner would have told the city they plan to open a Marijuana dispensaries they would have never been allowed to open in the first place.. There law suit is bullshit…
Residents voted in favor of a ban the year after this raid took place. This lawsuit is about the companies constitutional rights being violated with the serving of improper search warrants.
Seems like Willliam “da nigga” Kemp lacked important information and context himself
Marijuana dispensaries have been banned since 2008 and no business license. What it sounds like is you have little understanding of the law as well as common sense
You idiot! Read the complaint again. This dispensary owner is alleging they was being harassed in the form of raids and fake search warrants. They then alleged they were guided through by more than one city employee to and how to lie on paperwork to create a fake business as a cover to sell weed.
Dumb ass Marijuana dispensaries have been banned since 2008.. They have no business license to operate.. The minute the judge ask to see there business permit this felonious law suit will be thrown out..
Somebody need to call that HBCU you claim to have graduated from and have that english professor terminated for your lack of ability to comprehend what you read… Marijuana dispensaries have been banned since 2008, they can’t get a business to operate however the city employee tells the dispensary owner to operate as a clothing store and put a clothing sign outside but sell marijuana inside and the city will stop raiding you…. you comprehend that? sound like a shake down….
Yes but my question is what will the FBI do. In the Kimbrew case, the marijuana shop was illegal but led to the FBI pulling a sting on a public official involved in bribery and extortion. Where will this lawsuit by the very same illegal marijuana shop owners lead, illegitimate or not. The company is obviously in violation of our city charter and illegal activity will not be upheld by courts but the other concern is what violations are our officials guilty of in this matter. That is a question their illegal status will not excuse.