Monday, March 13, 2023
Inside one woman’s fight to stave off homelessness as eviction cases flood courts Paloma Esquivel Los Angeles Times
Graham’s image on the screen, “you’re in a serious spot right now. You need to catch the bus, you need to run out there … you need to get to the Stanley LOS ANGELES — In her small Mosk Courthouse.” studio apartment in Westlake, Leticia “I close at noon. You need to Graham stared at her tablet as the be here well before then,” the judge courtroom on her screen filled with added. people like her: renters facing eviction. Graham put on her running With mounting panic, she realized she shoes, stuffed a thick stack of receipts was supposed to have been there in and bank records into her backpack person. and ran to the bus stop on the corner, She had little saved for a new arriving just as the doors to the No. 16 apartment, and knew losing her case bus to downtown were closing. would leave her homeless. She hadn’t prepared much of But like a majority of renters a case. She owed thousands in rent in eviction court, she did not have a that was not covered by the limited lawyer, and the judge was explaining COVID-19 relief she had managed to that she had made crucial mistakes as secure. But she was desperate for more the clock ticked on her trial, which was time — time to work more hours at scheduled for that day. It was her only her retail job, to save enough for an shot at staying longer in her home. inevitably higher monthly rent, to get Contrary to what she believed, back on solid ground after the panthe judge said, a Los Angeles County demic left her jobless and in a spiral of eviction moratorium did not prevent depression. her from being evicted. That was a “I’m not going to fold,” she told mistake being repeated by renter after herself as the bus made its way toward renter in the county’s eviction courts. downtown. And since Graham did not have a car Eviction cases in Los Angeles and was appearing remotely, she would County never fully stopped in the not be able to present evidence, other pandemic, but they slowed to a few than her word, to win her case. hundred filings a month. Since May, as “Ms. Graham,” the judge said to protections have lifted, they’ve re-
Courtesy of Tribune Graham, 36, had little saved for a new apartment and knew losing her case would leave her homeless. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Graham, 36, had little saved for a new apartment and knew losing her case would leave her homeless. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
turned to pre-pandemic levels of more than 3,000 per month. Kyle Nelson, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA who has been compiling the numbers, expects they will increase even more, to about 5,000 per month, as protections continue to expire. Graham’s case is similar to the type of case that Nelson and others believe will flood the courts — renters
who fell thousands of dollars behind on rent during the pandemic and don’t earn enough money to pay it back. Once they’re filed, eviction cases move quickly compared with the typically sluggish pace of civil court — at times they are decided in a 10-minute trial before a judge. Renters rarely have lawyers, while landlords almost always do. See Eviction on 8
Cowgirls earn NCAA Tournament bid in Hoyt’s first season Tournament reveal in the O-Club in GallagherIba Arena with fans and donors. Hoyt seemed to make it must to sit next to sixth-year guard Davis Cordova Naomie Alnatas. Alnatas Staff Reporter has been the heart of the Cowgirls’ group, but she’s also been with Hoyt Jacie Hoyt and for four years, three at the Cowgirls exceeded UMKC. expectations in Hoyt’s In 2020, Hoyt led first season and now are UMKC to its first regurewarded with a spot in lar season conference the Big Dance. title, but didn’t get to On Sunday, the participate further due Oklahoma State Cowto the COVID-19 pangirls received the No. 8 seed in the Greenville 2 demic. Hoyt and Alnatas Region and will travel to have been through a lot together, but Bloomington, Indiana, “It was just a spehosted by the University cial moment,” Hoyt said. of Indiana. Their first “I think just the fact that game is versus No. 9 we had that opportunity seed Miami. three years ago, when The Cowgirls COVID hit, it just felt watched the NCAA
like we were robbed of that opportunity. So, to get to soak it in today with her made it so much sweeter.” Hoyt led the Cowgirls, who were picked to finish ninth in the conference, to a 21-11 record and a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 Conference. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Cowgirls have lost four of the last five games. OSU went 1-1 in the Big 12 Tournament, beating West Virginia on a lastsecond shot from Terryn Milton and losing to Texas in the semifinals. One storyline heading into the first and second rounds, Forward Lior Garzon’s sister, Yarden, plays at Indiana. sports.ed@ocolly.com
Abby Cage OSU coach Mike Boynton has made one NCAA Tournament in six seasons.
Cowboys left out of NCAA Tournament eight teams the SEC and Big 10 got in. In six seasons as OSU head coach, Mike Boynton has reached the NCAA Tournament once. Ben Hutchens OSU (18-15 Staff Reporter overall, 8-10 Big 12) entered the selection show firmly on the An orange Oklabubble. Sunday, ESPN’s homa State logo never Joe Lunardi listed the flashed up. Cowboys as the “First OSU basketball team out.” CBS Sports fans watching the also projected OSU out NCAA Tournament of the tournament, listselection show waited, hoped and prayed to see ing OSU as the “second team out” behind Aritheir school’s icon apzona State. pear in the field of 68. The argument for It never came. the Cowboys making the That is, until OSU was tournament was their six revealed as the “First wins against quadrant team out.” one opponents (more “Oklahoma State than any other bubble was the one team that got victimized the most team) and four against quadrant two opponents. by being in the Big 12, OSU played the No. 14 they had several quad hardest schedule in the one wins but too many losses there,” CBS ana- country and won eight games in the nation’s lyst Seth Davis said. highest-regarded conSeven of the Big 12’s 10 teams made the ference. OSU did that missing guard Avery field, one shy of the Anderson and center
Moussa Cisse for large chunks of the season. Detractors of OSU point out the Cowboys’ loss to Southern Illinois early in the year and poor finish to the season. In mid-February, Lunardi projected the Cowboys well inside the field and the team received votes to be ranked in the AP Poll. A five-game losing streak pushed OSU down to the bubble. OSU entered the Big 12 Tournament with a chance to cement status in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oklahoma 57-49 and lost to Texas 60-47. Some bubble teams to receive bids over OSU are Arizona State, Nevada, Utah State and Boise State. The Cowboys will settle for an NIT bid, and wait to see their orange logo flash up on ESPNU at 9 p.m to see who their next opponent will be. sports.ed@ocolly.com
Andy Crown Oklahoma State women’s basketball team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed and will play No. 9 Miami on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana, at a time to be announced.