Wife of Apple Computer Co-Founder Was Accused of Scalping : Couple’s Olympic Tickets Suit Dismissed

A lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles by Apple Computer co-founder Steven Wozniak and his wife was abruptly dismissed Wednesday by a federal court judge, who ruled that their constitutional rights were not violated when police arrested her on charges of scalping tickets during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

The couple, who contributed $100,000 to the organizing committee and thus received patron tickets with a face value of $11,920, brought suit because police confiscated 128 Olympic event tickets from Candace Wozniak’s purse and refused to return them, even though the city attorney’s office soon concluded they were not needed for evidence.

The Wozniaks--who initially sought only $1 in damages, but raised the ante to $750--figured that the pair of gymnastic event tickets she sold for $400 to two women outside Pauley Pavilion on Aug. 1, 1984, actually cost about $1,800 (based on their Olympics contribution).

Resale of Tickets Illegal

The city scalping ordinance makes it illegal to resell tickets at an event, even at a loss. The scalping charges against Candace Wozniak were dropped, however, when one of the purchasers said she felt the price was fair.

The Wozniaks contended that by forcing them to obtain a court order to retrieve the tickets the next day, police caused them to miss one event and jeopardized the value of the remaining tickets as time elapsed.

The Wozniaks were billed $1,500 by attorney Robert T. Moore for getting the tickets returned to them.

U.S. District Judge William M. Byrne dismissed the case at the request of Deputy Los Angeles City Atty. Jack L. Brown after Avery H. Einhorn, attorney for the Wozniaks, finished calling his witnesses. Byrne concluded that the tickets might have been needed for evidence and were properly seized.

Probably Will Appeal

Einhorn said the Wozniaks probably will appeal Byrne’s dismissal of their case “because we feel the court’s ruling on the law was erroneous.”

At least, he said, the couple delivered the message they wanted to deliver: “The Police Department should be more careful in the future when they seize property from an individual and threaten to cause the loss (in value) of that property.”

The lawyer pointed out that the couple’s legal fees for pushing the suit total far more than the $750 they were seeking.