Arnoldo Beltran speaks with the rhythmic cadence of a lawyer who has argued his fair share of cases over the past three decades. Appointed city attorney in February by a vote of the Montebello City Council, Beltran is known for his advocacy of Latino causes and his sometimes gruff manner. Though his arguments are seldom presented in court — more often than not, they are laid out in closed session — Beltran is accustomed to the limelight.
He was a key player in Bell Gardens when the council there voted to promote a councilwoman to city manager. Chacon blamed Beltran for giving the advice that she relied on for making the switch. Beltran said he did nothing wrong in the Chacon case, but the finger-pointing was understandable. A resident of Pasadena, Beltran, 56, is a Stanford-educated lawyer. After graduating law school in , he began practicing corporate law.
It was only after the Los Angeles riots in , and a stint with Rebuild L. Francisco Leal and began representing cities. At first, the newly formed firm represented Commerce and Cudahy, Beltran said. The firm expanded into Bell Gardens in , with Beltran taking the reins as city attorney. Despite being in the heart of industrial southeastern Los Angeles County, Commerce and Bell Gardens are cities with a solid source of revenue generated by card clubs.
Both have similar demographics. According to the Census, Commerce was almost 94 percent Latino. Neighboring Bell Gardens had a 93 percent Latino population.
Because of their often divided councils and lack of consistent news coverage, cities in southeastern Los Angeles County are perfect clients for attorneys like Beltran, Leal and others, according to deputy District Attorney David Demerjian, who heads the Public Integrity Division. That sort of split was evident in in Bell Gardens. The attorney who filed the suit against Beltran was Peter Wallin, who recently resigned his post from Rosemead and was himself a former Bell Gardens city attorney.
