Some attorneys, clients delayed in getting to court during unrest, protests

With unrest, mass protests and heavy law enforcement presence in downtown Los Angeles and Orange County this week, attorneys reported traffic restrictions, travel delays and courthouse slowdowns while others said their experience was uneventful, offering a mixed portrait of civic tension and courtroom routine.

Gerald B. Singleton of Singleton Schreiber in San Diego said he experienced little to no trouble accessing the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Monday morning.

"Given some of the stuff that we've seen in the past, it was nothing like that at all," Singelton said in a phone call on Wednesday. "There'll always be people that will use these opportunities to throw rocks and do things like. I think the most recent issues we've had are the George Floyd protests. This was nothing compared to what I saw there."

Sole practitioner Jance M. Weberman of Los Angeles reported a similarly smooth experience at the Roybal Building - the site of clashes with National Guard troops and attacks on ICE agents earlier in the week.

On Wednesday morning however, an "eerie quiet" had settled over downtown, said Weberman. He said he saw some 40 soldiers sleeping near the building's entrance.

"Things were slow. There weren't cars running on the streets, just occasional cops running around and fire trucks running around, but that's about it," he said in a phone call on Wednesday. "It was like a ghost town."

However, Boris Treyzon of ACTS Law LLP in Encino said he was made an hour late Wednesday due to the protests and street blockades. "Jurors and court reporters were late too. Threw everything into a giant mess."

Similarly, Michael C. Landman of Bird Marella Rhow Lincenberg Drooks & Nessim LLP in Los Angeles, who appeared in federal court Wednesday morning at the 1st Street U.S. Courthouse, said his client was delayed by traffic restrictions.

"While it seemed generally quiet downtown, I did not view anything unusual and had no issues getting into the courthouse," Landman said in an email on Wednesday. "However, my client reported that he did have difficulty getting downtown as many of the exits off the freeway were closed. Accordingly, I'd recommend to practitioners and their clients to leave extra time to get downtown as long as law enforcement continues to restrict the flow of traffic."

With the potential for delays, some attorneys are either intentionally avoiding the affected areas or have been directed to do so by their superiors.

"I don't have any court appearances this week, but I have avoided going to our downtown office and am working from home," Ryan G. Baker of Waymaker LLP in Los Angeles responded in an email on Wednesday. "My AUSA friend has been instructed to work from home for the time being, as well."

Edward Susolik of Callahan & Blaine in Santa Ana said he experienced minimal disruptions at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on Monday and Wednesday, despite boarded-up windows and a visible National Guard presence.

"There was a group of national guards stationed outside the courthouse who were being very peaceful and protective," he said in a phone call on Wednesday. "The court security, as always, was excellent, and I felt very secure. I felt that the building was very safe and secure. Finally, the judge's courtroom was very safe and very secure as well. And there was security in the hallway."

While a large group of protestors were present on Monday, he said he believed they were moving to a demonstration in the nearby civic square rather than protesting at the courthouse itself.

"There were no setbacks whatsoever on either Monday or Wednesday with the proceedings", he said. "Everything went very smoothly."