Man Cleared In Jameson's Pub Manager's Death Sues Santa Monica, LA County

SANTA MONICA, CA — A Venice man once charged with murder in the death of a Jameson's Pub manager is now suing the City of Santa Monica, Los Angeles County and the State of California, alleging authorities prosecuted him for more than a year despite evidence supporting his claim that he acted in self-defense.

Leonard Hector Korpie, 28, filed the lawsuit Friday, Aug. 28, nearly a year after the criminal case against him was dismissed.

Korpie was initially charged with murder following the June 2024 death of Jameson's manager Jaysent Clark, 50. A judge later ordered him to stand trial on the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, but prosecutors ultimately announced they were unable to proceed with the case.

The new lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution, federal civil rights violations and defamation. Korpie is seeking unspecified economic, noneconomic and punitive damages.

Korpie's attorney, Jordan D. Taylor, provided Patch with a copy of the complaint Tuesday.

"My client has no comment at this time," Taylor told Patch.

Two Accounts Of A Fatal Confrontation

The case stems from a confrontation outside Jameson's Pub on Main Street shortly after midnight June 11, 2024.

Santa Monica police said at the time that Clark asked several patrons to leave the bar and that a fight subsequently broke out on the street. Police identified Korpie as the patron who punched Clark, causing him to lose consciousness.

When officers arrived, Clark was not breathing. Officers administered CPR until the Santa Monica Fire Department arrived and took over lifesaving efforts. Clark was taken to a hospital and died June 12. Korpie, however, has maintained that he did not punch Clark.

His lawsuit alleges that Korpie complied when he was asked to leave Jameson's and that, once outside, Clark "physically assaulted" him on the sidewalk. Korpie claims he used reasonable force to defend himself.

The complaint goes further, alleging that video footage and multiple witnesses supported Korpie's self-defense account from the outset and that he committed no crime.

Korpie's criminal defense attorney, Adam M. Koppekin, previously said his client shoved Clark after Clark punched him in the head and denied that Korpie returned any punches.

Korpie was initially charged with murder, but following a September 2024 hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kathryn Solorzano found sufficient evidence to order him to stand trial instead on a voluntary manslaughter charge.

In September 2025, prosecutors announced they were unable to move forward. The case was dismissed Sept. 8, according to Korpie's lawsuit. The complaint further alleges that by May 2026, the criminal case had been sealed and Korpie's arrest expunged from his record.

Koppekin previously said the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office concluded Clark had a number of medical issues and that his death resulted from a cardiac arrhythmia caused by the effects of the altercation on a heart affected by chronic atherosclerosis.

Lawsuit Challenges Police Account

Korpie now alleges Santa Monica, Los Angeles County and the state wrongfully pursued the criminal case against him.

The lawsuit claims the defendants failed to conduct an independent investigation and continued the prosecution after they knew or should have known the case would ultimately end in Korpie's favor.

Korpie alleges he lost past and future wages, suffered damage to his reputation and experienced emotional distress and humiliation as a result.

The lawsuit also accuses the City of Santa Monica of defamation over statements made publicly following Korpie's arrest. The complaint specifically cites remarks attributed to Santa Monica police Lt. Erika Aklufi in June 2024.

"A single punch was thrown," Aklufi said at the time, according to the lawsuit and contemporaneous news reports. She also said Clark likely struck his head as he fell and that those events led to his death. Korpie's lawsuit alleges those statements were false.

The dispute marks a stark contrast with the account Santa Monica police gave immediately after the incident. In June 2024, Aklufi also confirmed to Patch that police believed Korpie punched Clark once and said there was no violence leading up to that alleged assault.

Korpie filed government claims with Santa Monica, Los Angeles County and the state on Feb. 20, according to the complaint. Los Angeles County rejected the claim April 15, while the lawsuit alleges Santa Monica and the state did not respond.

The City of Santa Monica did not immediately respond Tuesday to Patch's request for comment on the lawsuit, including whether the city disputes Korpie's allegations and whether police continue to stand by their original account of the confrontation.

A case management conference is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2027.

City News Service contributed to this report.