A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Claude Cassirer, an 89-year-old resident of La Mesa, Calif., can sue Spain and a cultural foundation in order to reclaim a 19th century painting that was seized from his family by the Nazis.
Times reporter Carol J. Williams writes in an article Friday that the 9-2 decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has effectively cleared the ownership dispute for trial.
Cassirer will be able to sue the Kingdom of Spain and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation, which is displaying Camille Pissarro's "Rue Saint-Honoré, Après Midi, Effet de Pluie."
The Impressionist painting, which was seized by the Nazis, is valued at $20 million.
Despite his court win, Cassirer has expressed concerns about his age and the long legal road ahead.
Read the full story about the court's decision.
-- David Ng
Photo: Claude Cassier and his wife, Beverly, with a copy of the Pissarro painting. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times