Eight days ago, The District Weekly submitted two California Public Records Act (CAPRA) requests—one to the Long Beach city attorney, one to the Long Beach Police Department—for “all documents” related to a July 2008 response by LBPD officers to city hall regarding a disturbance involving Councilmember Suja Lowenthal and her husband, Superior Court Judge Daniel Lowenthal.

Today, City Attorney Robert Shannon phoned to say there aren’t any.

“We have not been able to find any documentation,” said Shannon. “We’re not even sure when the incident occurred. We just don’t have anything.”

Huh?

The July 17, 2008, confrontation involving the divorcing Lowenthals and a member of Suja’s staff—Jemie Sae Koo, recently dismissed amid another incident in the 2^nd district council offices that required an LBPD response to city hall—has pretty much become common knowledge.

That’s because on July 22, 2008, Press-Telegram reporters Tracy Manzer and John Canalis cited three LBPD sources—as well as the department’s public information officer, Nancy Pratt—in a story revealing that the incident was under investigation.

But when Pratt was contacted by The District Weekly today, she said she has no information about the incident. Pratt explained that all CAPRA requests to the LBPD are routed to the city attorney’s office. “We’re not always in the loop on the status of (CAPRA) requests,” Pratt explained. “But if [the city attorney] told you there was no documentation, then they probably couldn’t locate any call for service [by LBPD officers].”

Pratt speculated that the wording of The District Weekly’s CAPRA request might explain the lack of documentation of such a service call. She noted that it included requests for “police reports, investigations and court proceedings,” and pointed out that if officers did not take a report, then there would also not be any investigations or court proceedings.

But wording of The District Weekly’s request was as broad as could be. It asked for “all documents—including but not limited to police reports, investigations and court proceedings—that are related to this incident as soon as they can be assembled.”

Again, that’s all documents. Not limited to any documents.

Judging by the official response, none exist.

Weird.

Here’s the entire P-T story, compiled by four reporters—Manzer, the veteran, respected cop reporter, and Canalis, a seasoned reporter, editorial writer and columnist, with additional reporting from Tiffany Rider and Andy Franks—on July 22, 2008. We got it by paying $1.98 on the P-T website:

LONG BEACH – Police said Monday that a verbal dispute at City Hall involving Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, her husband and a city staff member is under investigation.

 Long Beach Police Department sources said officers were called to the 14th floor of City Hall, where the City Council and mayor have offices, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate an argument between Lowenthal and her husband, Superior Court Judge Daniel Lowenthal. The couple began divorce proceedings July 3.

Three independent sources within the LBPD, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were told Daniel Lowenthal exchanged words with a member of Suja Lowenthal’s staff. Stories differed about which staff member was involved.

“It sounds like it was getting pretty ugly so (Suja Lowenthal) came out of her office, and our officers were requested at that time or shortly after that,” a police officer said.

No arrests were made.

Daniel Lowenthal, police said, had left before officers arrived.

Suja Lowenthal said she did not realize that her husband was on the 14th floor to visit his mother, Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal.

“It was a misunderstanding in that he was there visiting someone else,” Suja Lowenthal said.

Daniel Lowenthal declined to comment Monday evening.

Bonnie Lowenthal confirmed that her son was at City Hall that day to meet with her.

“As far as I’m concerned, it was a non-event,” Bonnie Lowenthal said.

Police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt confirmed that police were called to City Hall to investigate a “dispute.” It was not clear who called police.

“There was an incident involving a city employee and a person that had authorization to be there at City Hall,” Pratt said. “That incident is under investigation. We are trying to determine if a crime occurred. We don’t know.”

Pratt did not say who was involved.

“I don’t have all the particulars that would determine what happened,” Pratt said.

[This concludes the P-T story.]

Fourteen months later, Pratt—and everyone else with the City of Long Beach—say they have even less information.

 Like, none.

How does that happen?

Tags: California Public Records Request, Councilmember Suja Lowenthal, Dave Wielenga, investigation, john canalis, Judge Daniel Lowenthal, Long Beach City Attorney, Long Beach Police Department, Nancy Pratt, press telegram, Robert Shannon, Tracy Manzer