James A. Stankowski

James Stankowski (Partner-Los Angeles) and Valeria Granata (Associate-Los Angeles) secured a dismissal with prejudice in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of an administrative agency collecting hotel tax assessments and its employee. A famous motel chain and its owner sued our clients for alleged violation of its Fourth Amendment, Equal Protection and Due Process rights when the agency’s employee checked into the plaintiffs’ motel and obtained his guest registration records when he checked out. The registration included guest rates and motels taxes. Notably, a lawsuit filed by the administrative agency was pending at the time of the occurrence with the Riverside State Court, due to the plaintiffs’ refusal to pay hotel tax assessments under a Riverside County ordinance. Judge McCormick sided with Wilson Elser’s clients, finding that all claims failed because the plaintiffs did not allege sufficient facts to substantiate a violation of the plaintiffs’ claimed rights and granted Jim and Valeria’s Motion to Dismiss. Moreover, the court made clear that it would not be possible for the plaintiffs to allege new facts to plausibly state a claim for a violation of their constitutional rights under any theory mentioned in their Complaint. This decision saved our clients $5,000,000, as well as the costs of trial.