CITY OF OAKLAND
ONE F R A N K H. O G A W A P L A Z A • 6 TH F L O O R • O A K L A N D , C A L I F O R N I A 94612 Office of the City Attorney
Barbara Parker
City Attorney
FAX:
TDD:
(510) 238-3601
(510) 238-6500
(510) 839-6451
December 20, 2022
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Oakland, California
Subject: Shaun Williams, et al. v. City of Oakland, Oakland Unified School District, and DOES 1-100
Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG20080760
City Attorney File No. 34074
(Department of Transportation – Dangerous Condition of Public Property)
Dear President Fortunato Bas and Members of the City Council:
Pursuant to Section 401 of the Charter, the City Attorney has prepared and requests your approval of a resolution authorizing the compromise and settlement of the abo ve-entitled claim for the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars and no Cents ($250,000.00), payable to Plaintiffs in a manner specified by Plaintiffs’ counsel.
This claim arises out of an incident that occurred on January 17, 2020 at the intersection of 98 th Avenue and Cherry Street, in Oakland. Decedent, Miesha Singleton, was crossing 98 th Avenue at a designated crosswalk when Henry Melendez recklessly and illegally used a two-way turn lane to bypass traffic, striking and killing Ms. Sin gleton while speeding at 60 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour school zone. Mr. Melendez did not slow or stop after hitting Ms. Singleton and sped off after the collision. Plaintiffs -- Ms. Singleton’s surviving husband, two adult children, and five minor children -- filed suit against the City alleging that the intersection of 98 th Avenue and Cherry Street constituted a dangerous condition of public property, and claimed general and economic damages as a result of the death of Ms. Singleton.
The City has determined that settlement in the amount of $250,000.00, without admitting liability and to avoid further litigation, is in the best interest of the City.
The City Council authorized settlement of this case in Closed Session on Thursday, December 8, 2022 (moved by Councilmember Loren Taylor and seconded by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan - 5 Ayes and 3 Absent – President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Councilmember Carroll Fife).
Respectfully submitted,
BARBARA J. PARKER
City Attorney
Assigned Attorneys:
Lorena Matei
Hans Moore
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