Kelly Thomas’ father vows to sue acquitted officers

They lost the criminal case, but the family of Kelly Thomas says it will pursue a civil lawsuit against two former Fullerton police officers acquitted of beating the mentally ill homeless man to death. Kelly Thomas’s father, Ron Thomas, says he looks at the case like a prize fight, with several rounds still to go. He’s hoping an ongoing FBI investigation will lead to federal criminal charges. Orange County Distinct Attorney Tony Rackauckus tried the case himself. He tells KCRW’s Warren Olney that he’s not worried about backlash from police officers who opposed the prosecution…The city of L.A. will partner with the U.S. Geological Survey to draw up a comprehensive plan to prepare for a major earthquake in the region. Mayor Eric Garcetti says the collaboration is part of an aggressive new push for earthquake preparedness in L.A. Officials will devise strategies to ensure the safety of private buildings, as well as the region’s telecommunications network and water supply. USGS seismologist Lucy Jones will spearhead the effort. Garcetti made the announcement to coincide with Friday’s 20th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake…The once Fabulous Forum reopens as a concert venue tonight with the first in a string of shows by the Eagles. New owners Madison Square Garden are trying to reclaim some of the venues’ former glory and reestablish the Inglewood arena as one of the region’s major concert halls. The company says it spent millions upgrading the place. Inglewood also has a lot at stake: The City of Champions has 15 percent unemployment, much higher than the state and county as a whole. The Forum says it will provide up to 250 full-time jobs…The L.A. School Board has handed a big victory to Superintendent John Deasy – agreeing to an accelerated rollout of the district’s iPad program. Board members voted to distribute iPads to 38 more schools this year, and to buy as many tablets as necessary for new state tests in the spring. The district will also purchase laptop computers for students at seven high schools as part of a plan to compare the utility of those devices with the iPads. The Board disregarded the advice of an oversight panel that recommended purchasing far fewer computer tablets…Hollywood’s anti-awards are back. “Grown Ups 2,” the comedy sequel about four childhood friends leads the Golden Raspberry line-up yesterday with eight nominations, including worst picture, worst sequel, worst screenplay, and worst lead actor for Adam Sandler. Other worst picture nods went to Disney’s “The Lone Ranger,” the Will Smith flop “After Earth,” and Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Christmas.” The Razzies announcement comes ahead of the Oscar nominations, which will be released tomorrow.