Archive for the ' County of Los Angeles ' Category
Daily Bulletin: Dozens of convictions tossed out of Southern California courts because of prosecutors' bad behavior, Harvard study says
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and his office is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the California Attorney General's Office for allegations that prosecutors and police developed a network of jailhouse informants to illegally garner confessions from inmates. (File photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register
Posted: 07/29/17 – 12:52 PM PDT |
The gavels had fallen, the cases appeared closed:
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, County of Orange, County of Riverside, County of San Bernardino, County of San Diego, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, State Court of Appeal, State of California, State Superior Court, State Supreme Court
Los Angeles Times: Deputies sue former high-ranking sheriff's official and former prosecutor, alleging vendetta
Posted May 24, 2017 at 1:56 pm
Maya Lau
May 24, 2017 – 12:45 p.m.
Two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies say they were framed for lying about a drug bust and that prosecutors knowingly withheld evidence that would have spared them a trial, lost wages and public humiliation, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. District Court
Los Angeles Times: Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca sentenced to three years in prison in jail corruption scandal
Posted May 12, 2017 at 8:24 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been sentenced to three years in prison, marking an end to a corruption scandal that has roiled the Sheriff's Department for several years.
Joel Rubin
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, once a towering, respected figure in policing, was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to obstruct an FBI investigation of abuses in county jails, marking an end to a corruption scandal that has roiled the Sheriff's Department for several years.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. District Court
Los Angeles Times: Former LA County Sheriff Lee Baca found guilty in corruption trial
Posted March 15, 2017 at 6:58 am
After a day and a half of deliberations, a federal jury found former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca guilty Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
By Susan Abram, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 03/15/17 – 2:10 PM PDT |
Once the head of the largest law enforcement agency of its kind in the nation, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was found guilty by a federal jury Wednesday of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice and giving false statements in connection with an investigation into corruption and excessive use of force inside the Men's Central Jail.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Law Enforcement
Los Angeles Daily News: Prosecution and defense rest cases in re-trial of ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and attorney Nathan Hochman are seen outside the U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2017. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Posted: 03/09/17 – 12:22 PM PST |
After almost two weeks of testimony by more than a dozen witnesses, the prosecution and defense rested their cases Thursday in the federal jail corruption re-trial of former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
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Los Angeles Times: A court is blocking L.A. County sheriff from handing over a list of 300 problem deputies
Posted February 21, 2017 at 10:00 am
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has collected the names of about 300 deputies who have a history of past misconduct — such as domestic violence, theft, bribery and brutality — that could damage their credibility if they testify in court.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, State Superior Court
Los Angeles Times: Federal prosecutors to retry ex-L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca in obstruction of justice case
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, center, leaves federal court, where prosecutors announced they will retry him on charges of obstructing an FBI investigation. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will retry former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca following a recent mistrial in which a jury nearly cleared him of obstructing an FBI investigation into the county's jails.
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Daily Bulletin: Ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca back in court on pending jail corruption charges
Posted January 9, 2017 at 8:00 pm
In this file photo, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca arrives at federal court in Los Angeles to appear before a judge after a plea deal had been denied. Aug. 1, 2016 (Photo by David Crane Southern California News Group)
Posted: 01/09/17 – 4:09 PM PST |
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is expected to be back in federal court Tuesday to determine if he'll stand trial on three pending charges that stem from a jail corruption and inmate abuse scandal.
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Los Angeles Times: Feds had a win streak in L.A. jails scandal. Then they took on the former boss
Posted December 26, 2016 at 9:11 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca talks to reporters outside the federal courthouse earlier this week after his obstruction case ended in a mistrial, with jurors hopelessly deadlocked. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Joel Rubin and Victoria Kim
The team of federal prosecutors was on a roll.
For nearly five years, the Public Corruption and Civil Rights section of the U.S. attorney's office had been building and winning cases against a group from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department accused of carrying out a plan to obstruct a federal investigation into allegations of inmate abuse at the county jails.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Court, U.S. Government
Los Angeles Daily News: Judge declares mistrial in ex-Sheriff Lee Baca's corruption trial
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca walked out of federal court Thursday almost a free man after jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked and a judge declared a mistrial in his jail corruption trial.
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Los Angeles Times: L.A. County politicians and donors had the most campaign law violations in California this year
Posted December 21, 2016 at 10:46 am
Patrick McGreevy
California politics
Dec. 20, 2016 – 3:23 p.m.
Los Angeles County had more cases of politicians and others successfully prosecuted for violating campaign finance and ethics rules than any other county in California this year, the state Fair Political Practices Commission reported Tuesday.
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Filed under: Campaigns, County of Los Angeles, Elections, Fair Political Practices Commission, In the News, Politics, State of California
Los Angeles Daily News: Baca wanted FBI to 'back off,' says witness in ex-sheriff's corruption trial
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff, Lee Baca, and his wife, Carol Chiang, leave the United States Court after his arraignment on Friday, August 12, 2016. File photo. (Photo by Dean Musgrove/Los Angeles Daily News)
Former Sheriff Lee Baca, who led the largest law enforcement department of its kind in the nation, may take the witness stand in his own defense in an ongoing federal jail corruption trial, his attorney announced Thursday.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, U.S. District Court
Los Angeles Times: Orders came 'all the way from the top,' former deputies say in trial of ex-Sheriff Lee Baca
Victoria Kim
Two ex-Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies who have been convicted of obstructing an FBI civil rights investigation into the county jails told a federal jury on Friday that they believed they were following orders from former Sheriff Lee Baca.
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Los Angeles Daily News: Prosecutors: Ex-Sheriff Lee Baca was 'heartbeat' of jail conspiracy
Posted December 8, 2016 at 8:54 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, and his wife Carol Chiang, arrive on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, for his arraignment at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles. Baca's trial began Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016. (File photo by John McCoy/Los Angeles Daily News)
Posted: 12/07/16 – 12:22 PM PST | U
Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca was "the heartbeat of conspiracy" when it came to hiding abuses within Men's Central Jail, and he did nothing to hold deputies who beat inmates accountable, prosecutors said in federal court Wednesday.
Los Angeles Daily News: Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger give LA County Board of Supervisors historic female supermajority
Two newly elected Los Angeles County supervisors brought historic changes to local politics Monday when they became part of a supermajority of women to serve on the largest local governmental body in the nation.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: Hahn, Barger elected to L.A. County Board of Supervisors
Posted November 10, 2016 at 2:00 pm
County Board of Supervisors candidates Janice Hahn, left, and Kathryn Barger, right. (Los Angeles Times)
Adam Elmahrek and Hailey Branson-Potts
Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger were elected Tuesday night to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, marking the election of a female majority and a continued leftward shift for the influential panel.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, Elections, In the News, Local Government, Politics
Los Angeles Daily News: Supervisors approve civilian oversight for LA County Sheriff's Department
Posted November 2, 2016 at 8:30 am
A long-awaited civilian oversight commission to push reforms within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, two years after it was formally proposed.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Law Enforcement, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: After $38-million deal collapsed, L.A. County secretly launched public corruption probe of retired CEO
Posted October 30, 2016 at 6:26 pm
After William T Fujioka, above in 2012, retired two years ago, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors hired an outside consultant to look into the former chief executive's real estate dealings and other county business, a document and sources reveal.
Adam Elmahrek
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors secretly launched a public corruption investigation of its former Chief Executive William T Fujioka shortly after his retirement two years ago, examining his role in real estate dealings, a multimillion-dollar emergency communications project and other county business, according to a document obtained by The Times and officials familiar with the probe.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: Convicted former No. 2 in Sheriff's Department shouldn't remain free during appeal, judge says
Posted September 29, 2016 at 9:40 am
A federal judge Wednesday ruled that former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka should not remain out of prison while he appeals his conviction on obstruction of justice charges.
Los Angeles Times: Jewelry, wine, clothing and sports tickets: D.A. collects more than $10,000 worth of gifts
Posted August 29, 2016 at 8:04 am
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey at a press conference at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles on June 29, 2015. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has accepted more than $10,000 worth of gifts over the last four years from criminal defense attorneys, police unions, business owners, prosecutors in her office and others who could have an interest in influencing her decisions as one of the most powerful law enforcement officials in the county, according to state records.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Jackie Lacey, Law Enforcement, Legal, Politics
Los Angeles Times: Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca pleads not guilty to new obstruction charges
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca leaves federal court in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon to felony charges arising from an FBI probe into county jails.
Los Angeles Times: The Coliseum case is the latest embarrassment for D.A.'s corruption unit
Posted August 7, 2016 at 10:09 am
The USC Trojans take the field for a 2014 game against Notre Dame at the Coliseum. (Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo)
Paul Pringle and Rong-Gong Lin II
The alleged bribes and kickbacks that prosecutors said flowed like honey between government officials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and people who did business at the venerable stadium exceeded $2 million — cash that belonged to the taxpayers.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Jackie Lacey, Law Enforcement, Legal, State Superior Court
Los Angeles Times: New federal charges accuse ex-Sheriff Lee Baca of obstructing justice, lying to authorities
Posted August 6, 2016 at 9:33 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca arrives at the downtown federal courthouse for a sentencing hearing. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Cindy Chang
Days after withdrawing a guilty plea for lying during an FBI investigation into widespread abuses at the county jails, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was indicted Friday on more serious charges that could bring up to 20 years in prison.
Los Angeles Times: After 'very embarrassing' blunders, prosecutors offer no-jail deals in L.A. Coliseum corruption case
Rong-Gong Lin II, Paul Pringle and Marisa Gerber
Two concert promoters accused in a bribery-and-embezzlement scheme involving raves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will avoid serving any jail time under a plea bargain with prosecutors who acknowledged, for the second time, that they mishandled evidence in the high-profile corruption case.
Los Angeles Times: Former L.A. County sheriff's deputies lose appeal in obstruction of justice case
A federal appeals court Thursday upheld the convictions of seven former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on charges they tried to thwart an FBI investigation into county jails.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Daily Bulletin: Former rivals endorse Kathryn Barger for 5th District supervisor's seat
Kathryn Barger, candidate running in the 5th District LA County supervisors race.
Four candidates who were running to replace Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich threw their support behind his top aide Tuesday.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Campaigns, County of Los Angeles, Elections, In the News, Politics
Los Angeles Daily News: Ex-LA Sheriff Lee Baca to face trial after withdrawing guilty plea
Posted: 08/01/16 – 6:59 AM PDT |
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told a federal judge Monday he wants to withdraw his guilty plea and stand trial in connection with a jail corruption scandal that has already taken down almost a dozen of his former deputies and his second in command.
The Orange County Register: 'No great options' facing ex-sheriff in corruption case
File – In this Jan. 7, 2014, file photo, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announces his retirement at a news conference at Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau in Monterey Park, Calif. Baca signed a plea agreement that said he ordered deputies to intimidate an FBI agent and "do everything but put handcuffs on her." Baca, who pleaded guilty to trying to thwart an FBI investigation into abuses at the jails he ran, is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and must decide whether he spends the best remaining days of his life fighting to stay out of jail or behind bars. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
By Brian Melley, Associated Press
Jul. 31, 2016 – 2:24 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Sheriff Lee Baca, who pleaded guilty to trying to thwart an FBI investigation into abuses at the jails he ran, faces a difficult choice that will influence how he spends the healthiest days of his retirement.
Los Angeles Times: Judge throws out ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca's plea deal, saying six months in prison not enough
Posted July 19, 2016 at 8:34 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca leaves federal court via a loading dock Monday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Cindy Chang and Marisa Gerber
A federal judge on Monday threw out a plea agreement that would have given former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca a maximum of six months in prison, saying the sentence was too lenient considering Baca's role in obstructing an FBI investigation into the county jails.
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Daily Bulletin: Top two candidates for LA County's 5th District gear up for campaign trail
Posted July 7, 2016 at 8:23 am
Left, Kathryn Barger; right, Darrell Park.
The two candidates hoping to replace retiring Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich honed in on their differences Wednesday as both get set to focus on a campaign that began with eight contenders.
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Los Angeles Times: Final vote tally pits Kathryn Barger against Darrell Park for L.A. County supervisor's post
Kathryn Barger, left, and Darrell Park, right, shown in April debate, will vie in November for supervisor seat being vacated after 36 years by Michael Antonovich. (Luis Sinco/ Los Angeles Times)
Abby Sewell
After weeks in limbo, the November field is set in the race to replace retiring Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, with a political neophyte facing off against the incumbent's chief of staff.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Campaigns, County of Los Angeles, Elections, In the News, Local Government, Politics
Los Angeles Times: Former top L.A. County sheriff's official given 5-year sentence for obstructing FBI probe
Posted June 28, 2016 at 7:59 am
For years, allegations of inmate beatings by sheriff's deputies in Los Angeles County jails swirled. When they did, one name surfaced over and over: Paul Tanaka.
Los Angeles Times: Race for Antonovich county seat remains in limbo
The latest round of vote-counting released by the Los Angeles County registrar shows an outsider candidate maintaining his lead over a state senator in a close contest for a runoff spot in the race to replace retiring county Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
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Los Angeles Times: Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca has Alzheimer's disease, but he still faces a 6-month prison term
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca leaves the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Feb. 10. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, but he nonetheless should serve time in prison for lying to federal investigators during a probe into jail abuses by sheriff's deputies, the U.S. attorney's office has concluded.
Los Angeles Daily News: Supervisor's race still in question as LA County election ballots continue to be counted
Posted June 15, 2016 at 10:08 am
Bob Huff, candidate running for the 5th District LA County Supervisors seat.
A week after California's primary election, the race for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich's seat continued to be too close to call Tuesday, with more votes still to be counted.
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Daily Bulletin: Tensions between LA, San Bernardino counties could ruin train plans to Ontario Airport
Documents cited by attorneys representing Ontario detail several instances in which Los Angeles World Airports appeared to direct key personnel to focus efforts on Los Angeles International Airport rather than ONT. With luggage in tow, a traveler checks in at the ticket counter LA/Ontario International Airport in Ontario. (Staff file photo/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
By Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
POMONA >> At a conference Monday aimed at boosting regional connectivity between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley, territorial and financial issues created a lack of agreement on the best way to move people and solve cross-county gridlock.
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Filed under: Aviation, Cities, County of Los Angeles, County of San Bernardino, In the News, Local Government, Los Angeles World Airports, Ontario, Ontario International Airport Authority, Transportation
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County sheriff's deputies sentenced to federal prison in jail beating case
Two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were sentenced Monday to more than a year each in federal prison for lying on reports they wrote about violently subduing a handcuffed jail inmate.
Los Angeles Daily News: LA Sheriff's official resigns over racially-insensitive emails
Posted May 2, 2016 at 8:04 am
By Brian Day, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
LOS ANGELES COUNTY >> A high-ranking Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official has resigned in the wake of recent revelations that he shared "inappropriate and unprofessional" emails during his previous job as assistant police chief in Burbank, the L.A. County sheriff announced Sunday.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Jim McDonnell, Law Enforcement, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: Offensive emails from a top official put L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell on the spot
Posted April 29, 2016 at 8:38 am
Tom Angel is seen at Burbank police headquarters in 2015. (Raul Roa / Burbank Leader)
Cindy Chang and Alene Tchekmedyian
Outrage over emails sent by a top aide mocking Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others is presenting Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell with a serious test as he attempts to reform his troubled agency.
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Los Angeles Times: Top L.A. County sheriff's official sent emails mocking Muslims, blacks, Latinos and women
Alene Tchekmedyian and Cindy Chang
A top Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official forwarded emails with jokes containing derogatory stereotypes of Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others from his work account during his previous job with the Burbank Police Department, according to city records.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Law Enforcement, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: Assistant sheriff credited with curtailing the worst abuses in L.A. County jails is leaving
Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald, who is stepping down after three years of overseeing L.A. County's jails.
The enormousness of the task facing Terri McDonald was clear.
A veteran of the state prisons, she had been brought in to turn around a Los Angeles County jail system reeling from allegations of mismanagement and abuse.
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Los Angeles Times: Christian cross has no place on L.A. County seal, judge rules
Posted April 8, 2016 at 8:16 am
The former version of the Los Angeles County seal, left, includes a cross above the Hollywood Bowl. That seal was replaced by the version on the right.
In a long-awaited ruling, a federal judge has sided with plaintiffs who argued it was unconstitutional for Los Angeles County supervisors to place a Christian cross on the county seal.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, Courts, In the News, Legal, Local Government, Religion, U.S. District Court
Los Angeles Times: Tanaka convicted on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges
Posted April 7, 2016 at 12:05 am
Former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka leaves the downtown federal courthouse after a jury convicted him on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges. (Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times)
A federal jury on Wednesday convicted former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka of deliberately impeding an FBI investigation, capping a jail abuse and obstruction scandal that reached to the top echelons of the Sheriff's Department.
Daily Bulletin: Paul Tanaka admits he has tattoo associated with violent deputy gang
Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, center heads to the federal courthouse on Friday in downtown Los Angeles. Sarah Reingewirtz — Pasadena Star-News
By Sarah Favot, Los Angeles Daily News
Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka admitted on the witness stand Monday that he has a tattoo associated with a deputy gang known as the Vikings that a federal judge has called a "neo-nazi, white supremacist" group.
Los Angeles Times: After Baca's guilty plea, L.A. jail corruption case turns toward trial of his top aide, Paul Tanaka
Paul Tanaka, mayor of Gardena, is seen in 2014. The former Los Angeles County undersheriff is facing trial in federal court on charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The criminal trial of Paul Tanaka, a once powerful figure in Los Angeles policing, is set to open with the former undersheriff facing charges he deliberately thwarted an FBI investigation into jail abuses.
Los Angeles Times: Recorded interview reveals former Sheriff Lee Baca lying to a federal prosecutor
Posted February 13, 2016 at 9:55 am
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca outside court in Los Angeles after pleading guilty Wednesday to lying to federal investigators. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Joel Rubin and Cindy Chang
The sheriff's lie came 25 minutes into the interview.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Courts, Federal Bureau of Investigation, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Court, U.S. Government
Los Angeles Times: At heart of Sheriff's Department scandal was top-secret 'Operation Pandora's Box'
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department's Men's Central Jail facility in Los Angeles is shown. The FBI enlisted Anthony Brown, an inmate in the Men's Central Jail, to collect information on allegedly abusive and corrupt deputies. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Shelby Grad and Richard Winton
At the center of the FBI's investigation into abuses at the Los Angeles County Jail was a top-secret program known as Operation Pandora's Box.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Federal Bureau of Investigation, In the News, Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Government
Los Angeles Times: Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca pleads guilty in jail scandal
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, center, leaves the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles after pleading guilty Wednesday to lying to federal investigators. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Joel Rubin, Cindy Chang and Harriet Ryan
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to federal investigators, a stunning reversal for the longtime law enforcement leader who for years insisted he played no role in the misconduct that tarnished his agency.
Los Angeles Times: In jail abuse case, jury is hung on excessive force but convicts deputies of falsifying records
Posted February 3, 2016 at 8:48 am
A federal jury found two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies guilty Tuesday of falsifying records about the beating of a jail inmate but deadlocked on whether the deputies used excessive force.
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Los Angeles Times: Mitchell Englander and Janice Hahn lead pack in fundraising for supervisor's races, filings show
Campaign finance reports filed Monday gave a glimpse at the strength of candidates running for two open seats on the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
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Los Angeles Times: L.A. County's legal costs soared 24% in 2015
The front of the L.A. County Men's Central Jail is shown. Lawsuits involving the Sheriff's Department, which runs the county jails, contributed to a dramatic increase in the county's legal costs in 2015. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County's spending on lawsuit-related attorney fees, settlements and judgments rose 24% last year — an increase driven largely by litigation against the Sheriff's Department.
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Filed under: Budget, County of Los Angeles, Courts, Finance, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, Local Government, State Superior Court, U.S. District Court
Daily Bulletin: L.A. County supervisors approve formation of oversight commission for Sheriff's Department
After hearing comment from dozens of activists in opposition, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday that retired law enforcement officials may be eligible to sit on a commission that will oversee the Sheriff's Department.
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Los Angeles Times: Feds did what the L.A. prosecutors didn't do: bring deputies in jail visitor's beating to justice
Posted December 27, 2015 at 5:47 pm
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department already was engulfed in a jail brutality scandal when a prosecutor in the district attorney's office examined the beating of Gabriel Carrillo.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, Federal Bureau of Investigation, In the News, Jackie Lacey, Law Enforcement, Legal, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Government
Daily Bulletin: LA County's former top lawyer claims supervisors coerced him into resigning
Mark Saladino, Los Angeles County's former chief attorney, claims the Board of Supervisors coerced his resignation by forcing him to issue a false press release and sign an agreement "under duress" when he stepped down from the job in June. Saladino, who moved to the position of assistant treasurer and tax collector, filed a claim for damages with the county this week.
By Mike Reicher, Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles County's former chief attorney claims the Board of Supervisors coerced his resignation by forcing him to issue a false press release and sign an agreement "under duress" when he stepped down from the job in June.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, Hilda Solis, In the News, Legal, Local Government, Mark Ridley-Thomas
Los Angeles Times: Ex-L.A. County sheriff's deputies sentenced to prison for beating of jail visitor
Two former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were sentenced to federal prison Monday for their roles in the beating of a handcuffed jail visitor and a scheme to cover up the assault.
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Los Angeles Times: Largest L.A. County employee union votes to approve contract including 10% raise
Posted November 21, 2015 at 6:01 am
Workers represented by Los Angeles County's largest employee union voted to approve a tentative agreement with county management that would give them a 10% raise over three years.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Budget, County of Los Angeles, Economy, Finance, In the News, Local Government, Unions
Los Angeles Daily News: After criticism, LA County government limits car washes to once a month
After criticism, LA County government limits car washes to once a month
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government, Water Resources
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County supervisors approve three-year, 10% pay increase for deputies, firefighters
Los Angeles County sheriff's recruits go through a drill on their first day of training in Monterey Park. Union officials say low pay is hindering efforts to recruit qualified sheriff's applicants. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, firefighters and members of several other employee groups will get a 10% pay increase over three years under contracts approved Tuesday by county supervisors.
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Filed under: Banking, Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, Finance, In the News, Law Enforcement
Los Angeles Daily News: Indictments: Another ex-LA County Sheriff's deputy charged with attempting to cover up inmate beating
Posted October 17, 2015 at 9:38 am
By City News Service
LOS ANGELES >> In a case stemming from the beating of a handcuffed man at Men's Central Jail, a sixth former member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was indicted Friday on federal charges for allegedly participating in the cover-up of the incident.
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Los Angeles Times: Top L.A. County sheriff's official steps down amid investigation into purchase of stolen car
Assistant Sheriff Michael Rothans, third from left, is retiring after an investigation was launched into his purchase of a stolen vehicle. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A top-ranking Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official has abruptly announced his retirement amid an internal investigation into his purchase of a stolen Audi sedan from a tow-yard owner with a department contract.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal
Daily Bulletin: L.A. County Supervisors choose new CEO
Posted October 7, 2015 at 8:28 am
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously named Sachi Hamai as the county's chief executive officer.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government, Sachi Hamai
Los Angeles Daily News: Former Sheriff Lee Baca will not get immunity at Paul Tanaka's trial
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. (File photo)
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will not be immune from prosecution if he is called to testify in the corruption case against his former second-in-command and reveals any criminal activity that occurred in the jails under his watch.
Los Angeles Daily News: Los Angeles, San Bernardino counties battle higher poverty rates
By Brenda Gazzar, Los Angeles Daily News
Local poverty rates remain stubbornly high despite lower unemployment, census figures show.
More than one in five people were living in poverty in San Bernardino County last year while the poverty rate in Los Angeles County didn't lag far behind, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
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Filed under: County of Los Angeles, County of San Bernardino, Economy, Finance, In the News
Daily Press: Adelanto jail plan dead
Posted September 2, 2015 at 8:25 am
Pitch fails to woo L.A. County Supervisors
By Shea Johnson
Posted Sep. 1, 2015 at 5:33 PM
Updated Sep 1, 2015 at 7:23 PM
ADELANTO — Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright on Tuesday welcomed Los Angeles County Supervisors' rejection of a controversial jail plan that was touted by its developers as an injection into the city's lagging economy.
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Filed under: Adelanto, Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Business, Cities, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government
Daily Bulletin: Exclusive: This L.A. County supervisor had 2 take-home cars, but denied it
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas drove a 2012 Chrysler 300 luxury sedan, owned by taxpayers, though officials claimed he was driving an older, less expensive car. The newer car was assigned to former Assessor John Noguez. (Photo by Mike Reicher)
On the Los Angeles County government's official list of employee take-home vehicles, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas looks very frugal. His assigned car, a 9-year-old Chrysler 300 Limited sedan, cost the county about half as much as the next supervisor's.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Politics
Los Angeles Times: Tense times in government offices after Ashley Madison email leak
The infidelity website was hacked by a group called Impact Team. (Google Images)
By Patrick McGreevy and Abby Sewell
Anxiety was high Friday in state, county and city offices after hackers released lists of dozens of government email addresses in California that were used to access the Ashley Madison online dating site for married people.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government, State of California
Los Angeles Times: D.A. called out county supervisors on jail vote that violated state law
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey appears at a news conference on June 29, 2015. Lacey sent a letter to county supervisors last week saying that their vote on a jail plan had violated the state's open meetings law. (Mel Melcon)
By Abby Sewell
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey notified the Board of Supervisors last week that their vote on a controversial downtown jail plan violated the state's open meetings law, the latest in a string of incidents in which the board has run afoul of the Ralph M. Brown Act.
Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Jackie Lacey, Legal, Local Government
Los Angeles Daily News: Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka says corruption charges should be dropped, codefendant pleads guilty
Paul Tanaka
Accused of corruption, Paul Tanaka, once second in command of the Sheriff's Department, said charges against him should be dropped, according to federal court documents obtained Wednesday.
Los Angeles Daily News: Ex-LA County sheriff's official to plead in corruption case
A retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department captain charged with obstructing a federal probe into corruption in the county jails has agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge and cooperate in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation, according to court papers filed Thursday.
Los Angeles Times: After years of scandal, L.A. jails get federal oversight, sweeping reforms
By Cindy Chang and Joel Rubin
Capping years of scandal, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has agreed to federal oversight of its jail system in an effort to end abuse of inmates by sheriff's deputies and to improve chronically poor treatment of mentally ill inmates.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Law Enforcement, Legal, Local Government, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Government
The Los Angeles Times: The money race is on for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors 2016 primary
By Alice Walton
The primary election is 10 months away, but candidates for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' 5th District are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars as they jockey to pull ahead in a crowded field.
Daily Bulletin: L.A. County supervisors take their time in discussing oversight for Sheriff's Department
While calling Los Angeles County "late to the party" when it comes to police oversight, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday discussed the role of a new oversight commission for the Sheriff's Department but took no action.
Daily Press: Adelanto jail proposal gets extension
Doctor R. Crants speaks during Wednesday night's Adelanto City Council meeting about his plan to build another prison in the city to help ease inmate overcrowding in Los Angeles County. (Jose Huerta, Daily Press)
By Shea Johnson, Staff Writer
Posted: Jul. 23, 2015 at 4:59 PM
ADELANTO — The developers of a controversial jail plan that would ease Los Angeles County inmate overcrowding and be a financial boon to this city have been given until the end of the year to lock down an agreement with L.A. County or face the possibility the project will die.
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Filed under: Adelanto, Cities, County of Los Angeles, In the News, Local Government
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County supervisors agree to boost minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020
By Abby Sewell, Jean Merl and Katie Shepherd
Organized labor won an important victory Tuesday when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to increase the minimum wage to $15, but it now faces a more daunting political challenge: convincing other local governments to join the movement.
Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Budget, Business, County of Los Angeles, Finance, In the News, Local Government
Los Angeles Daily News: Los Angeles County property values see largest jump in 5 years
Fueled by an increase in home sales, the assessed value of all taxable property in Los Angeles County rose 6.13 percent in 2015 — the largest jump since 2010 — the county assessor reported Thursday.
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Filed under: Business, County of Los Angeles, County of San Bernardino, Economy, Finance, In the News, Real Estate
Daily Bulletin: Los Angeles County leaders still drive pricey gas-guzzling cars years after audit
Posted July 12, 2015 at 10:43 am
Supervisors Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich each exceeded the county's price limit when they bought their hybrid SUVs: a $56,288 Chevrolet Tahoe and a top-of-the-line $65,648 GMC Yukon Denali, respectively. (Hans Gutknecht — Staff Photographer)
Walk the garage under Los Angeles County's headquarters and you'll see rows of practical Ford Tauruses and efficient Toyota Priuses — the ones with government seals on the front doors.
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Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, Budget, County of Los Angeles, Finance, Hilda Solis, In the News, Local Government, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Sheila Kuehl
Los Angeles Times: L.A. sheriff officials on leave after 'troubling' allegations over inmate treatment
L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell on Saturday said that he had relieved from duty 10 jail workers. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
By David Zahniser
Ten Los Angeles County Jail employees were relieved of duty pending further investigation following an incident involving an inmate who was allegedly "restrained" for 32 hours, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Saturday.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Jim McDonnell, Law Enforcement, Legal
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County supervisors move to consolidate power by weakening CEO's job
A feud between Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, pictured, and former CEO William T Fujioka helped spur a return to a weaker CEO.
They are called the "five little kings."
Each represents a constituency of about 2 million people. Together, they oversee America's largest local government agency, with a $27-billion budget and 100,000 employees.
Filed under: Board of Supervisors - Los Angeles County, County of Los Angeles, Hilda Solis, In the News, Local Government, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Sheila Kuehl
Los Angeles Daily News: L.A. County D.A. creates a wrongful conviction unit
The Los Angeles County District Attorney will staff a conviction review unit that will investigate claims by inmates who say they are innocent.
Filed under: County of Los Angeles, In the News, Jackie Lacey, Legal
Los Angeles Times: Three L.A. County deputies convicted in beating of jail visitor
By Joel Rubin
Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were convicted Wednesday of beating a handcuffed man bloody and then lying to cover up the abuse.
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My News LA.com: Ex-L.A. Sheriff's number two to blame Baca in federal case
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Posted by Alexander Nguyen
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's former second-in-command plans to tell a jury that his boss ordered him to develop a way to thwart a federal probe into deputy misconduct at county jails, court papers obtained Tuesday show.
Los Angeles Daily News: L.A. County supervisors oppose expansion of board from 5 to 7 members
The Los Angeles County of Board Supervisors voted Tuesday to oppose a measure proposed in the state Legislature that would expand the number of supervisors on the board from five to seven.
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Los Angeles Times: With Paul Tanaka's indictment, L.A. County jail probe reaches top echelon
Acting U.S. Atty. Stephanie Yonekura speaks at a news conference Thursday on the indictment of former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
By Cindy Chang, Joel Rubin and Richard Winton
What began more than four years ago as a federal investigation into brutality and corruption by deputies in L.A. County jails reached the highest echelons of the Sheriff's Department on Thursday, with two top officials indicted on charges of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to thwart the FBI.
Los Angeles Times: 'Operation Pandora's Box' at heart of L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. scandal
By Shelby Grad
The widening scandal at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has at its center a top-secret operation that federal prosecutors said amounted to an outrageous case of obstruction of justice.
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Los Angeles Daily News: With more indictments, former Sheriff Lee Baca again in the spotlight
Sheriff Lee Baca speaks to the editorial board of the Los Angeles News Group Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in West Covina. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)
By Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 05/14/15, 8:46 PM PDT |
When Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca stepped down more than a year ago, his role and possible indictment in the ongoing federal investigation at the county jails was still in question.