A Los Angeles judge on Friday rejected Councilmember Curren Price’s request to dismiss the public corruption case against him.
Attorneys for Price, who is accused of voting to provide millions of dollars in grants to a real estate consulting business owned by his current wife, Delbra Pettice Richardson, argued that the longtime public official did not know his vote would create a conflict-of-interest issue.
Los Angeles County prosecutors allege Richardson’s consulting firm received more than $150,000 from developers between 2019 and 2021 before Price voted on projects involving those developers.
Price is also accused of having the city of Los Angeles pay for Richardson’s health insurance while he was married to another woman, resulting in about $33,800 in taxpayer-funded benefits. Prosecutors contend the enrollment amounted to embezzlement of public funds.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler sided with prosecutors Friday, ruling there is sufficient evidence for the case to move forward.
When the allegations first surfaced in 2023, Price did not resign. The 75-year-old councilmember is term-limited and will leave office at the end of 2026.
Price was ordered to return to court on Oct. 16.
If convicted on all charges, Price faces up to 11 years and four months in custody, including up to nine years and four months in state prison and up to two years in county jail, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
