The Antelope Valley Times

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DA’s office reviewing past criminal cases of sheriff’s deputies with history of misconduct

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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has begun a comprehensive review of past criminal cases that involved deputies placed on a secret sheriff’s department list of officers whose histories of misconduct could undermine their credibility in court, it was reported Friday.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey said she ordered the examination in response to a Los Angeles Times investigation that identified 24 deputies on an older version of the confidential list, including many who were disciplined or convicted of crimes, The Times reported on its website.

Prosecutors, she said, are combing through cases in which those deputies might have testified and are trying to determine whether defendants should have been notified about the misconduct.

The deputies have been identified as potential witnesses in more than 4,400 felony criminal cases since 2000, according to a Times analysis of district attorney records, though it is unclear how often they testified or how significant a role they played in those cases.

Lacey said she could not recall a similarly large undertaking by her office since the Rampart scandal of the late 1990s, when accusations of perjury, evidence-tampering and other serious misconduct against dozens of LAPD officers led prosecutors to undo the convictions of more than 100 defendants.

“These are things prosecutors need to know to make sure that justice is done,” she said of the deputy misconduct detailed by The Times.

Lacey said she feels it is her office’s obligation to review cases in which the deputies testified.

Most of the deputies are still on the force.

California is among 22 states that keep officer discipline from the public, but it is the only one that blocks prosecutors from seeing entire police personnel files.

The review by prosecutors could result in convictions being overturned, Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor who now is a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told The Times

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20 comments for "DA’s office reviewing past criminal cases of sheriff’s deputies with history of misconduct"

  2. yep I live on Desert View, had the whole dam vorce in my yard for the house next . First time all guns we’re drawn , they we’re on the bullhorn calling his name and staying that they weren’t leaving, going to send the dog in for at least a half hour. The whole time the girlfriend and friend are sitting on the wall being PROTECTED! WASTED TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! Concidering I called TWICE and told you than that if the cars in the driveway, he’s in the dam attic. One cop had the balls to call me back ask if

  3. yep I live on Desert View, had the whole dam vorce in my yard for the house next . First time all guns we’re drawn , they we’re on the bullhorn calling his name and staying that they weren’t leaving, going to send the dog in for at least a half hour. The whole time the girlfriend and friend are sitting on the wall being PROTECTED! WASTED TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! Concidering I called TWICE and told you than that if the cars in the driveway, he’s in the dam attic. One cop had the balls to call me back ask if

    • It says that there was another scandal where they had to undo over 100 defendant cases.. But i agree its going to be way over 100 cases for sure

  6. i’d like to know if it’s true that the sheriffs dept are the one’s that run the meth sales. it’s been a rumor in lake la for years and it’s been said that that’s why the same dealers have been in that town for years. the little guys and users get busted but the main sellers don’t get touched as long as the money being turned in to the cops is right and on time. has been a huge question mark for a lot of folks.

      • They already might be investigating. When the DEA investigates something like that they just let it run and run and run until one day they come in and gaffle up EVERYBODY. That would be hilarious.

          • Nahhh. I do seem to know enough to surprise you Bob, but that seems pretty easy. I just read the papers, I’m not an expert.

      • The DEA…. Lol …. Haven’t you heard? There are rumors of corruption with the cartels and DEA? I was told by a girl who dated a cop who ended up killing himself that there is a black l.p. Cop group that goes around killing people. Rumors are stupid. Maybe they are drug dealers what can you do about it nothing. Just stay out of their way…. Who knows truth from rumor. Mind your business I suppose…

    • You never know when dealing with people. I see a deputy was arrested yesterday on charges he was protecting cocaine shipments so the authorities would not find or seize them.

      You suppose he was framed like most of the others as told by some others on this commentary source.

      • I’d guess that every aspect of the investigation and arrest had better be absolutely by every last letter of the law. Unlike ordinary citizens who don’t know enough about their rights to avoid having them violated, this guy will catch them in any and every “shortcut” they are accustomed to getting away with…because he’s undoubtedly seen them all and done most of them.

        Good comment George, too bad you had to ruin it with the vague and nonsensical bit at the end.

        • I wasn’t trying to ruin anything in that comment. All I was pointing out was there are some here, that no matter what evidence is presented, will say something is corrupt or someone was framed. I think you misunderstood my thought there.

          Don’t give this guy too much credit…..I think he is probably just a greedy individual that had opportunity and means, not necessarily the intelligence needed to figure a way out. If the evidence is there, the SHeriff’s Department will be behind him……waaaay behind him.

          It is is evidence proven, he should get the pleasure of having a State prison number.

  7. The problem isn’t the “few bad apples” who are so obviously bad cops that they can’t testify in court, the problem is that “most of these deputies are still on the force.” How many of the rest of the apples have to be spoiled to allow that to happen? Obviously the current sheriff is going to be able to write this off onto Baca, and I have no problem with him doing so…as long as he doesn’t continue the atrocity and FIRES these miscreants.

  8. I’m not a shares hater but the public has been knowing for years the sheriff is the biggest gang there is