Joseph F. Fitzpatrick (born around 1882) was the first

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...

member representing the 13th District after a new city charter went into effect in 1925. He did not finish his term, however, after he was convicted in that year of receiving a bribe from a developer who planned to construct a "moving sidewalk" within the

Second Street Tunnel __NOTOC__ The 2nd Street Tunnel is a widely filmed and photographed tunnel on 2nd Street under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The ''Los Angeles Times'' described it as "the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have n ...

Political career

In June 1925, Fitzpatrick, "a figure in labor and fraternal circles," was the successful candidate in the newly formed 13th District, which at that time extended to Mount Washington Drive, Avenue 41 and Marmion Way."Who's Who In Council Race," ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 3, 1925, page A-1
Library card required In the general election, Fitzpatrick was elected by a minority vote of 3,722 to 3,044 for Carl Jacobson and 2,405 for Joseph L. Pedrotti.

Arrest

Meanwhile, the former City Council had awarded a franchise to the Tunnels Transportation Company to build a moving sidewalk within the Second Street Tunnel, with seats, "on each side of which would be a public sidewalk." Fitzpatrick and Charles E. Downs, both new council members, said they were opposed to the project, but, according to William Hodges, vice-president of Tunnels Transportation, one of Downs's tenants — Jack Murphy, or J. Howard Murphy"Pickford Kidnaping Appeal Up; Decision Also Reserved in Ex-Councilmen Bribe Conviction," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 13, 1926, page A-9
Library card required — told Hodges that the councilmen's votes could be obtained. Hodges went to Downs's office and asked him what was expected, to which Downs is said to have replied: "It's long and flat and green," and he drew a rectangle on the back of an envelope. The same day, Hodges said, he notified Council President

Boyle Workman Andrew Boyle Workman (September 20, 1868 – December 25, 1942) was a Los Angeles politician and businessman. He served as President of the Los Angeles City Council and, as such, was acting Mayor on occasion. He was the first city councilman ...

, and he then worked with District Attorney

Asa Keyes Asa Keyes (August 9, 1877 – October 18, 1934) was district attorney of Los Angeles County, California from June 1923 until 1928, when he was found guilty of accepting a bribe from the Julian Petroleum Company and was sentenced to five years' ...

and Chief Deputy D.A.

Buron Fitts Buron Rogers Fitts (March 22, 1895 – March 29, 1973) was the 29th lieutenant governor of California, from 1927 to 1928, and Los Angeles County district attorney thereafter until 1940. Early life Born in Belcherville, Texas, Fitts received hi ...

to lay a trap for the two councilmen."Laying of Trap Recounted," ''Los Angeles Times,'' August 21, 1925, page 1
Library card required"Subway Plan Explained," ''Los Angeles Times,'' August 21, 1925, page 2
Library card required On August 18, 1925, the new council was set to adopt ordinances for the project, but Downs and Fitzpatrick objected to an immediate vote, stating they had an "important appointment" to keep. The appointment at Downs's City Hall office was with Hodges, who passed each of the councilmen $1,000 in marked bills, wrapped in torn magazine pages. As Hodges left the room, he raised his hat as a signal to police officers hiding in the hallway, and they placed both councilmen under arrest. Murphy was also arrested.

Trial and aftermath

Mugshot_of_former_Los_Angeles_City_Councilman_Joseph_F

Both councilmen were suspended from their offices while the trial was going on and were permanently removed upon their conviction. Downs testified at trial that he "accepted the money under the impression that it was a belated campaign contribution." After considerable discussion and some changing of votes, the jury unanimously found both Downs and Fitzpatrick guilty of bribery but asked the court to be lenient with them. "This, however, is impossible, as at the last session of the State Legislature a provision was included in the Penal Code denying probation to convicted public officials." The jury acquitted Murphy. After conviction, the State Prison Board set Fitzpatrick's sentence at five years, with parole after half time. When he was transferred to

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is th ...

on April 28, 1926, it was noted that he was six feet, 1-1/8 inch, with a fair complexion, black hair, and blue eyes.''Register and Descriptive List of Convicts Under Sentence of Imprisonment in the State Prisons of California,'' 1851-1950
/ref> He was released in December 1927 after serving about twenty months and went immediately to Kansas City. He was granted a full

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

by Governor

James Rolph James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr. (August 23, 1869 – June 2, 1934) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931, until his death on June 2 ...

in December 1933."Pardon Granted," ''Hanford Daily Sentinel,'' December 21, 1933, image 3
/ref>

Political career

Arrest

Trial and aftermath

See also

References

Further reading