Local News in Brief : D.A. Says Robbins Violated No Law in Reporting Domicile

State Sen. Alan Robbins did not commit perjury when he listed his former father-in-law’s North Hollywood address as his domicile on a voter-registration form, even though he also resides in an Encino house outside his district, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office concluded Friday.

“He has not committed perjury or violated any other crime,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Steven A. Sowders, head of the office’s special-investigations unit. Sowders said his office will not launch a criminal investigation because state law gives legislators wide latitude in deciding how to list their principal residence or domicile.

The district attorney looked into the Democrat’s residency after Robbins acknowledged that he lives in a home on Oak View Drive that is a few blocks outside his 20th District. Robbins said his home was accidentally cut out of his district during statewide reapportionment in 1982.

Robbins said a simple way to correct the error was to use the address of his former father-in-law, Nathan Elbaum, on his voter-registration affidavit, campaign records and driver’s license. Robbins said he had Elbaum’s blessing to list the Martha Street house, which lies within the 20th District, as his domicile.

Robbins said that, although he spends most of his time in the Encino house, he did live for brief periods at the Martha Street home when he was running for election in 1986 and still stays there occasionally.

A spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office said that it is not illegal for legislators to live outside their districts while serving their terms. A legislator must live within the district, however, when running for office, the spokeswoman said.

Robbins said this means he may have to consider moving out of Encino if he seeks reelection in 1990. Another option, Robbins said, would be a lawsuit that would ask a judge to restore his street to the 20th District.