The Date is (Mostly) Set
The date of May 15 has been set for sentencing former Los Angeles County sheriff Lee Baca.
After the jury in Baca’s trial announced their verdict last Wednesday, finding the former sheriff guilty of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, plus a single count of lying to federal investigators, the prosecution and the defense squabbled over when exactly the former sheriff should be sentenced. The defense asked Federal District Court Judge Percy Anderson to set a date several months in the future, arguing that their team needed the time to gather everything together necessary to defend their position on sentencing.
The government argued that Baca’s people had already done all that prep work last year when Baca was going to be sentenced as part of the plea deal he’d made with the feds.
For those who don’t remember, in February of 2016, the former sheriff pleaded guilty to one count of lying to federal officials in return for an agreed upon sentencing range that could be no higher than six months of prison time but could go as long as no time in prison at all. But Percy Anderson, who was the sentencing judge at that time too, announced that a mere six month sentence “trivialized” the harm that be said Baca had done. Then Anderson proceeded to blow-up the plea deal. Baca and his people decided that, rather than try to work out a new deal—which, obviously, would mean a much longer sentence than agreed to originally—the former sheriff would take his chances on a trial.
Baca’s first trial took place in December 2016, and resulted in a hung jury, with eleven jurors voting to acquit. Trial two ended on Monday March 13. Two days later, the jury came in with a guilty verdict on all three counts.
Now, if Judge Anderson wanted to go with the statutory maximum, Baca could end up with a 20-year sentence. But given that Anderson also sentenced Paul Tanaka, Baca’s notorious former second in command, and he gave Tanaka five years in a federal prison, it is unlikely that he would go too much above that number for Baca.
Anderson could also go lower. Even though the former sheriff is…well, the former sheriff, i.e. the guy who stood on the topmost rung of the responsibility ladder, Tanaka was portrayed—-both by the government during his trial, and in a scathing report written by the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence—as far darker figure who not only allowed, but actually encouraged a culture of violence and corruption inside the LASD-run county jails, and also in the department’s patrol stations. And as stern as Anderson’s lecture to Baca may have been when the judge tossed out the plea deal last summer, his lecture to the former undersheriff wasn’t stern, it was blistering.
New Alzheimer Evaluations “Crucial” for Sentencing Says Defense
Before Anderson set a sentencing date, he asked both sides to submit motions supporting their respective positions over last weekend, so that he could rule on a date and time this past Monday.
The prosecution team submitted a lengthier version of what lead prosecutor Brandon Fox said in court. “The defense has already obtained and filed 229 letters on behalf of defendant Baca,” the prosecution noted. “Thus, the time consuming matter of getting letters is already done.”
The defense, however, stated in their motion that they felt it was essential for the former sheriff to have a new evaluation of his Alzheimer’s disease, in order to “determine its progression since the July 2016 initial sentencing date,” they wrote.
Hochman and company also told the judge that Baca’s team had two experts lined up as they felt up-to-date-information about Baca’s mental condition “is absolutely crucial” for the court to have prior to any sentencing.
In setting the May 15 date, Anderson came closer to the May 8 date suggested by the prosecution, than the May 31 date that the defense requested.
But, having a date set doesn’t preclude either the defense or the prosecution from moving for a continuance or two. Thus, May 15 may not remain permanent.
So as usual….stay tuned.
Letters? Do they want people to write letters to the judge? Can they only be letters saying what a great guy Leroy D Baca was when he supported the opening of the outreach program for the Church of Scientology in Woodland Hills? Or can the letters be from folks who witnessed the “other” Lee Baca? You know, the Lee Baca who, even before he was elected, was called a “liar” by the LA Times when they refused to endorse a candidate for the office of Sheriff. The Lee Baca who, once elected over a dead guy – he later bragged that he got 60% of the vote – populated his command staff at the LASD with his golf buddies. The Lee Baca who started the “pay-for-play” program inside the LASD and permeated it throughout his tenure as Sheriff by requiring his executives (and by innuendo extending it to wannabes) to contribute to his re-election campaign – never mind his predecessor discouraged Department personnel from contributing to his campaigns. The Lee Baca who spent the taxpayers money like a drunk sailor – regularly overspending his budget. The Lee Baca who also spent the INMATE’S money (via the Inmate Welfare Fund) on frivolous items, like a $800,000 decorative fence at Pitchess Honor Rancho. The Lee Baca who hired the likes of Mike Yamaki and Bishop Turner who were paid over $100,000 per year and did NOTHING. The Lee Baca who gave badges and guns to his well-healed cronies with no training nor backgrounds. The Lee Baca, under whose oversight, the once preeminent Academy in the state was de-certified. The Lee Baca who curried favor with celebrities by affording them special treatment (see letters from Parris Hilton and Mel Gibson). The Lee Baca who was off globe trotting while (according to him) Larry Waldie hired 1000 Deputy Sheriffs without adequate backgrounds and qualifications. The Lee Baca who spent millions on refurbishing Biscialuz Center to make it a drug rehab center against the advise of his staff, only to have the center fail, close and be torn down.
And don’t get me started on turning over the keys to “his hand-picked heir apparent”, Paul Tanaka, but for the sake of brevity (don’t call me allisonbee tokalas), and the fact that much of the Tanaka “legacy” is court record, those are just a few of the letters that could off-set the 229 “sweetheart” letters written on Leroy’s behalf.
I am sure the letters from the Flintridge Kiwanis Club has more weight in some circles, but for some reason I don’t think Judge Anderson will be much impressed. One would imagine Judge Anderson would be much more interested in the Leroy we have known in this LASD nightmare since 1998. The one who has been much more interested in himself, feathering his own bed and feathering his own ego than doing the job that he swore to do on the day he was sworn in so long ago. But thanks to one lone juror back in December, justice will finally be served.
Anybody notice the crowd has thinned out in the comment section ? Seems like a lot of people have started jail time and no longer have the opportunity to opine.
Well, the ” Fat Lady has not sung yet” so all those worried about what secrets were leaked about them should continue worrying.
Full circle, well spoken. Sadly, you just scratched the surface. I think of all those who stood behind Baca, golf clapping and whispering into his ear, how brilliant and beloved he was. Those the closest to him, his Assistant Sheriff’s and Undersheriffs, did nothing but carried his water while the masses suffered while mumbling quietly, “I got mines.” Leroy, you have a date with destiny. I can’t wait to hear your statement as you stand before Judge Anderson, how you’re not afraid of going to prison.
Lonestar, lets see what we are commenting on in 6 months.
The fat lady is in tune and getting ready to serenade us to the next chapter. The FBI agents on this Case have transferred out and/or promoted. The AUSAs are moving on to new ventures, promotions, or new assignments.
You got nothing more to offer and there is nothing more to this case. Oh yea, there has been a huge POLICY change at Main Justice. These investigations are being shut down. Stop representing yourself as someone in the know.
It is closing time. You don’t have to go home, but you cannot stay here. I sent you a calendar to keep up with 425 years to life.
Dear Judge Anderson
I have followed the case of former Sheriff Leroy D. Baca currently being conducted in your court and understand you are considering your sentencing options in the case. I also understand that you have received a number of letters in support of the character of Mr. Baca, written ostensibly for your consideration to ameliorate the transgressions for which Mr. Baca has been found guilty.
I would like to submit a letter for a different purpose. I would like to share my experience with you regarding Mr Baca because I found him not to be of strong moral fiber. I found him to be one who says one thing and does another. Let me explain:
For years I had tried to obtain a concealed weapon permit in the city in which I resided. The chief of police refused citing my “shady” businesses (his words not mine) – I was a business man who delt in various enterprises who the police seemed to have problems with. I had also attempted to obtain a CCW through the Sheriff’s Department with the same result. However, when Mr Baca got elected to Sheriff, a business associate of mine knew I of my problems and knew Mr Baca. He offered to make an introduction, which he did. I met the then newly-elected Sheriff Baca and told him my story, assuring him that I was an honest man. He said he would take it under consideration. When I did not hear back from him, contacted the business associate who had made the introduction and told him that I did not feel that I was going to get the permit. He suggested that I become part of Mr Baca’s “inner circle.” I asked how I could do that and he smiled and said “He’s a politician, he needs to be reelected. Be part of that effort.” So, I became a part of that effort and became a fund raiser for Sheriff Baca. I even held several fund raisers at my home – often having my guests being bored to death by having to listen to long speeches by Sheriff Baca on everything from his views on the Middle East to the origin of the cosmos.
Anyway, he never mentioned the CCW permit, so I finally did. He said he didn’t want me to go through the normal background process. He said he was starting a new program for his “friends.” It was a “Special Deputy” program where he would swear-in his “friends and supporters” and give them badges and guns. I asked about the background check. He said there would be none, he was “The Sheriff” and he could do what he wanted. He added also, not to worry about spending wasted time training because those people he was selecting for the position he had personally vetted, he knew what they could do.
So, I got something better than a CCW; I got a free gun and a badge to go along with a credential that said I was a “Special Deputy” signed by my friend, Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff of LA County!
Now here is the true color of the man. Despite his promises, he reneged on the deal. As soon as the media heard about his program and he got a little heat, he sent real Deputies out to MY HOME and took away my gun, badge and identification credential! It was so embarrassing! My family was present and I felt so VIOLATED!
Judge, put yourself in my position. That was not right. Lee Baca did not stand by his word. He did not man-up and call me to apologize for what he had done. It was just a “mistake.” He had no consideration of the feelings of others. I therefore plead of you to not give this man ANY compassionate consideration when arriving at his sentence.
This man deserves the max!
David J. Jones
# 7820321
Pelican Bay State Prison
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department under the leadership of Lee Baca and Paul Tanaka was one of deceit and corruption at the highest levels. I am elated that U.S. Prosecutors Brandon Fox and Eileen Decker have vigorously prosecuted and won the criminal convictions of all of those involved so far. I am even more overjoyed that U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson is seeking harsher prison sentences for those convicted. Post criminal conviction appeals are rarely successful and higher courts are more inclined to uphold criminal convictions received from lower courts. Baca and Tanaka would have better chances of winning the California State Lottery than winning a post criminal conviction appeal. And it takes years for an appeal to make its way through the courts. And by that time Baca, Lee and all of those convicted so far will have served all or the majority of their prison sentences. It is even more doubtful that any of the convicted police officers will prevail against the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Justice has been served and there is more to come. To all those corrupt police officer supporters, I say stay tuned.
Jack Dawson
It is quite awesome for this civilian that the troops have had the final say in truth to power.
Funny how that sometimes works out
Mr Jones….Your story appears (on the surface) highly probable. My curiosity is peaked as to your purported “shady” business. Does your incarceration at Pelican Bay (most secure prison of CDC) have anything to do with your shady business? Is the pot calling the kettle black? Hmmm.
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Los Angeles California
Dear Judge Anderson
Judge Anderson, I have never met Lee Baca but I wish you to know what a caring sort of person he is and hope you take that in to consideration in contemplating his sentence in the case currently pending before you.
I will explain: A number of years ago I made some bad judgments and got in trouble with the law. Mr Baca was a friend of my father’s and went to bat for me. First in 1994, when he was a Division Chief, he scolded a Deputy who worked for him when the officer was out of bounds in looking for me. And then a few years later he wrote a letter to my case officer in Minnesota asking that I be transferred to Lompoc prison, so I could be closer to home. And then when he was Sheriff, in 1999, he wrote another letter to President Bill Clinton recommending that I be pardoned from a 15 year sentence for drug trafficking – which frankly was a case of guilt by association. Thankfully, his letter and the letters of many of my father’s other friends in LA helped me win the pardon.
Mr Baca, as I stated, did not know me and was a friend of my father’s, Horacio Vagnali (you may know him, he owns some parking lots around town) bud did this out of the goodness of his heart.
Now it is my turn to help this man when he is in trouble and I implore you to see the good in this man. He does good for people out the goodness of his heart. Do not be swayed by what others say about him. He is a good man.
Carlos Vignali
Leavenworth, Kansas
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/22/us/a-convict-in-the-storm-s-eye-had-plenty-of-other-help.html
http://www.laweekly.com/news/las-underground-power-broker-2140006
Congratulations!
Dear Mr. Jones,
Retired Sheriff Baca wrote me a note and mailed it to my P.O. Box in
Chicago that said he was MY FRIEND during late December 2013.
So how could he have been your friend, too?
Case dismissed. [By order of the Court. Court costs: $100.00.]
More testing…. Who you Foolin? Do your time and don’t drop the soap.
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Los Angeles California
Judge Anderson, I am writing you on behalf of my fellow inmates at Federal Correctional Institute, Edgewood Colorado. I have been asked to do so because of my “acquaintance” with you, having been a recent defendant in your court. The reason they have asked me to write to you is because they are aware that you are currently considering your sentencing options in the case involving my former collogue, Leroy D. Baca. I do not wish to discuss the merits of the case with you (I did everything he told me to do) but hope to appeal to you for consideration for a lengthy sentence for other reasons.
As you know, I knew Mr Baca for a number of years while working at the LA County Sheriff’s Department and I knew him personally. You may not know that, as a certified CPA, I also did all of Mr. Baca’s taxes. But I do not wish to appeal to you based on my my intimate knowledge of him and his private life, as dishonest and despicable as they may be. But as stated earlier, I am appealing to on behalf of my fellow prisoners because they need a man of Mr Baca’s talents at this prison. As you are aware, Mr Baca is 74 years old and you may also know he runs 4-6 miles on a regular basis. We at FCI Edgewood compete in the Colorado League of Correctional Institutions Athletic Association (CLCIAA), athletically competing against other prisons and jails within the state of Colorado. Our track team has won the league championship for the last 7 years but, because of the massive number of pardons made at the end of President Obama’s term of office, our team has been decimated. Mr Baca, would be a wonderful addition to our team and would compete in the Super-Duper-Senior Division. An added bonus would be his alleged early onset Alzheimer’s because he would not be able to remember the number of laps he’s run and we could keep telling he was only on his second lap, when he’d actually run 15 and he needed to pick up the pace. We think he would be league champion in his first year at our institution.
Also, as you may have heard, Mr Baca has stated many times he plans on living to be 100 years old. Given that probability – why argue – we could use Mr Baca for the next 26 years! But I know he’s only facing a maximum of 20 years. We at FCI Edgewood, are happy to accept that sentence as fair and will accept him for 20 years with open arms.
As a side note, I would like to say it was an honor to see a true professional at work when I appeared before you. I always considered myself an expert at “working the gray” area of law enforcement, but you sir, are an expert. If there was a way to twist the law in the favor of the prosecution, you were there cranking away. I’d read how you allowed James Saxton’s jury to only hear the damning excerpts of his Grand Jury testimony, while disallowing any exculpatory testimony and I thought “Now that is a man after my own heart.” And then I got to watch you up close and personal. And now you have wrung the scrawny neck on Lee Baca. Bravo! Sir, I tip my jailhouse hat to you. You are THE MAN!
Thank you for your consideration.
Paul Tanaka
#2355777
FCI, Edgwood, Colorado
These “letters” are crafted by one very gifted writer. Award winning WLA Hall of Fame material, trick stuff.
@Spade, thank you and I always appreciate your thoughtful comments here. Stay tuned, there may be more letters coming for Judge Anderson. Sheriff Baca has helped many people in the past who would like to give him their support.
BTW, from what you’ve said, I am sure we have crossed paths.
Percy Anderson, Judge Emeritus of the Highest Order
Los Angeles California
Your most esteemed and honorable Bother and Judge, I am writing on behalf of another brother, Leroy D. Baca. It was with a ponderific heart that I learned that Sheriff Baca was found guilty in your Most Honorable Court Room. I am sure you adjudicated the proceedings in a most fair and impartial manner but the case that was placed before you was extreme in it’s trials and tribulations, I am sure. The jury in their divine wisdom, however, wondered from the light of righteousness in arriving at its verdict, which unfortunately was incorrect, unjust and just plain wrong.
Forgive me for my assessment but I know it was wrong because I know the heart of the man! I know what is inside Leroy D. Baca! I have looked in to the SOUL of Leroy D Baca! I have been to the MOUNTAIN with Leroy David Baca!!!
Judge, Brother, Fellow Christian, let me explain.
I met Sheriff Baca – I call him Sheriff Baca because he will always be “Sheriff” Baca to me – when he came to my Power of Love Christian Fellowship ministries in South Los Angeles. Sheriff Baca
was just a Commander on the Sheriff Department at the time. He shared with me that, even then, he had a “Vision”. His “vision” was that he would one day be Sheriff of this glorious county that we call home, Los Angeles County – from the desert to the mountains to the sea, as he put it. He also saw in his “vision” that I, a humble community pastor would serve this glorious county and Our Almighty God by joining him on his journey to fulfill his destiny. Your honor, I LOOKED in to this man’s soul and saw purity. I saw vision! I saw his need to help his fellow man!
I also saw an opportunity to become part of something much larger than my poor ministry on Manchester Ave. I saw an opportunity to become part of an organization with a much broader reach and many more resources. I told then-Commander Baca, I was his man in South LA!
We began our journey. For the next few years I had his back and introduced him to many of my colleagues in South Los Angeles as he got promoted to Chief and started attending meetings and social functions. We formed a great team, me making introductions, and him charming people with his sincerity and ideas how he could bring wealth and prosperity to our part of the community. How he would release offenders back to the community, so that they might rehabilitate themselves back on the street among familiar surroundings and friends. It was a glorious vision and I started calling him my brother from another mother. I knew this man, this Angel, was an answer to my prayers.
And then when old Sheriff Block died a few days before the election I guess you could say my prayers were answered again. Sheriff Baca became sheriff and he appointed me to head Multi-Faith Clergy Council. Then he hired me to be his “Field Deputy”, a full time job! He even told me, I didn’t have to work full or even part time! Just as long as I was available to be around to handle any “problems” that came up. You know, “be on call.” He even gave me a car and an office. I never used the office, and I hear they turned it in to a store room after a while. I was glad it got some sort of use. Anyway Your Honor, I was able to continue to lead my flock in South LA and had plenty of time start my Helping Our People Excel for Life Foundation. Sheriff Baca was so supportive of all these things, knowing how much I was helping the community. That is what kind of man and leader he is.
So, Your Honor, Sheriff Baca is a good man. He looks out for his community. And he certainly looks out for his friends. I therefore implore you to take all this consternation into contemplation when calculating the confinement configuration for our Brother, Leroy Baca.
The Most Holy Bishop, Edward R. Turner
Pastor, Power of Love Christian Fellowship Ministries
Director, Helping Our People Excel for Life Foundation
Director, Comon Iwanna LayUuuuu Foundation LLC
Church’s Chicken, Franchise Holder
PS Judge Anderson, you are welcome to join us at our church at 1425 W. Manchester Ave. any Sunday except for the third Sunday in May (Opening day at Santa Anita)
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sheriff-pastor-20131114-story.html
http://www.christianpost.com/news/la-pastor-found-to-be-owner-of-marijuana-shop-property-sheriffs-department-dismisses-church-leader-as-field-deputy-108812/
These letters of support are priceless!
If folks are still reading, there are a couple stuck in the “yet to be delivered” cubby.
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Los Angeles California
Judge Anderson, I am writing you on behalf of a portion of the population who never gets their voice heard. A “community” of individuals who are misunderstood and disparaged by the general population as perverts and freaks. Contrary to this perception, we do care about people and we wish you to know that we care for our brother, Leroy Baca, a man who understands us, a man who sees our true feelings and a man who, with your wisdom, is going to help us win our rightful place in society.
Lee Baca has been a friend of mine for over 25 of years. I met him in the early 1990’s when he was working on his Doctor’s degree at the University of Southern California. If you are not aware, Dr. Baca’s doctorial thesis delved deeply into the subject of incest and questioned if incarceration was the best for both the “victim“, who loves the “offender” and the “offender”, who likewise loves the “victim.” Dr. Baca had a belief that incest is an act of love – not a criminal act. In Dr. Baca’s research for the thesis he attempted to go far beyond what any researcher had done before or since. He wanted to send questionnaires to the LASD’s “victims” of incest, asking them of their feelings about “their experiences“. He wanted to asked personal questions of the individuals that are not often asked of such persons. Questions like: “During the period of your life when the sexual activities with your father – including intercourse – was happening what kind of feeling were you experiencing?” And then he would ask the individual to fill out their response with choices like “good”, “powerful”, “happy” , “secretive” , “ sad”, “unhappy”, etc. With the kind of data he would have been able to gather enough information to conclude that, indeed, decriminalization of incest is best for both adult and child and he was able to deduce that “incest” is actually an act of love!
Instead the Sheriff’s Department limited Dr. Baca’s research to reviewing 100 incest reports without identifying the names of the victims or their contact information. Basically, they scuttled what they KNEW would lead to irrefutable revolutionary findings that incest is an act of love and should be decriminalized.
Your Honor, the fact that an esteemed institution such as the University of Southern California granted Dr. Baca a doctorial degree based on his thesis, VALIDATES his research and would have proved his theory!!!
Your Honor, Dr. Baca and I have had many long and very personal conversations about this subject and he believes deeply in what he wrote. Judge Anderson, this man is a man of compassion. This is a man of love. This is a man who believes in the good of his fellow man and man’s love for child.
Your Honor, this is not generally known, but Dr Baca had confided in me that he would be sponsoring a voter initiative to decriminalize the act of incest after he was re-elected in 2014. To that end we had enlisted the extensive, national support of my organization to co-sponsor the initiative and had already lined-up thousands of volunteers to circulate petitions to gather the necessary voter signatures necessary gain a place on the 2016 ballot. Dr. Baca had also garnered significant cash contributions from executives of his own Department in support of the initiative – as he said he often did in his political life. He also saw an opportunity to have the initiative go on the ballot along side the marijuana initiative and he foresaw the two going to victory hand-in-hand. Your honor, the man is not only a man of love, he is a true visionary and he pledged to me that he would use his office as Sheriff of Los Angeles County as a platform to change a law that he knows is wrong and knew was wrong since he was a child.
Unfortunately, for the good of the Department, Dr. Baca dropped out of the race shortly before the 2014 election and the voter initiative was postponed until he could again spearhead the effort.
Therefore, Your Honor, on behalf of Virtuous Pedophiles and the North American Man/Boy Love Association – a national advocacy organization which works to abolish age of consent laws and the gain the release of adults jailed for sexual contacts with minors that did not involve coercion – I am asking for leniency for Dr. Leroy D. Baca. Leroy Baca, is a man who understands that men and women who are involved in intimate contact with consenting children are involved in an act of love. With your compassion, Dr. Baca can soon return to help society help those who love one another by passing such an initiative for the good of mankind. I beg of you to give only probation to Dr. Baca so that he may continue his good work within the community in general and to the community of consenting children.
Thank you for your consideration.
Nob Dickersom (MAP), Spokesperson
Virtuous Pedophiles and National Man/Child Love Association
http://www.laweekly.com/news/why-did-sheriff-lee-baca-want-to-keep-fathers-who-molest-their-daughters-out-of-jail-2390400
Yo, Judge Anderson!
I hear you have my friend and mentor, Lee Baca under your thumb. Tooooooo bad because he is suuuuuuchhhhhhhh a cooooooooooooollllllllllllllll dude and you need to know about him.
I met him when my dad was his driver and I went along on some of Sheriff Baca’s night time gigs. He often had me go with him inside while he met with a loooooooooooooooootttttttttttttttttt of big wigs. I mean BIG WIGS! I even got to shake Mel Gibson’s hand and took some cool videos with my cell while Mel was talking some smack about a Jew Deputy who threw the hooks on him in Malibu. Man was he fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyy! That man is a craaaaaaacccckkkkkkk up! Even had a joke about the Deputy’s hook nose able to hang his cleaning on it!!!! Funny man!!! If you are interested, I can shoot you a clip. And one time Sheriff Baca let me go in with him when he was giving a speech at the Church of Scientology in LA and I got to meet the head dude, some David guy. But I also saw Tom Cruze there. He’s a little dude. I always thought he was something like 6’2” or something. I’ll bet he’s more like 5’2” – LMAO!!! It was a blast, but they wouldn’t let me take any videos, some it was like they were afraid of spooks or something. Weird dudes who creeped me out but Sheriff Baca seemed right at home, so I guess it was ok.
Anyway, Sheriff Baca treated me great, like I was special. He told me to go along with my dad when he made some pick-ups for him during the week. He said it would make the whole thing look more legit and everything. I don’t know what that meant, but it was fun. We went to parts of town I didn’t know existed. The garment district, Korea Town, Glendale – there is an entire Armenian community there and, boy, did we meet a LOT of them!; Artesia – my dad says Pioneer Blvd looks like it is downtown New Delhi – women walking around with those spots on their head, man the whole bit; Rowland Heights – there’s more Korean’s there than you can shake a stick at!; China Town; East LA – man if you haven‘t eaten at El Tepeyac‘s and eaten their burritos you haven‘t livvvvvved! My dad had the Mani Special and I had the Hollandbeck – WaaaaHooooooo!. We also went to several crazy-ass churches in South LA – those cats who are preachers are something else. One dude had this giant afro of FLOURSCENT GREEN! I HAD to get a video of this dude, so I whipped out my cell to video the dude but my dad just about laid his own GREEN egg and made me put it away. Funnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyy, man, realllllllllyyyyyy fuuuuunnnnnnnyyyyy! LMFAO!!!!
There wasn’t a part of Los Angeles where we went that there wasn’t a package or a shopping bag waiting for us. It seemed like Lee Baca knows everyone and is loved everywhere. People seemed just to want to give him something. My dad said they were just making “contributions.” But every time I tried to use my cell to video our travels, my Dad said no one would be interested and shut me down. I’m sorry I don’t have any good videos to share with you – that’s one of my hobbies, sharing my videos with people. Unfortunately in this instance, I am afraid I have let you down. Oh Weeeelllllllll!
Going around the county, having people greet us in a friendly manner and taking videos of our little trips – when my dad wasn’t looking I actually took some blurry videos ( but not up to MY standard) – was so muuuuuucccccchhhhhh fuuuuuunnnnn. So I decided that I wanted to do that kind of stuff full time and I applied to become a Deputy Sheriff. But I got a psychologist who was prejudice and failed me in that one small portion of the process. I called my dad and he talked to Sheriff Baca, who hates prejudice in any form – just like it says in the Department’s Core Values. Bro, did he quickly straightened THAT out! After that things went REALLY smooth! I went through the background process in nothing flat, passed the Academy with flying colors and I’ve had a great career, so far. I want to get in to the Video Unit because of my passion for video and the power it has to spread messages to people around the world on the internet. Eventually I want to go the Office of the Sheriff and become his public spokesman. I know, and I’ve been told, I have natural flair in front of the camera and I want to use my skills for the betterment of the Department. I’ve always strived to use my best attributes for what is best for the Sheriff’s Department.
Right now though, I have a little time on my hands because of a little misunderstanding with a very hateful and vindictive woman and I thought I might take the time to support a brother. I considered making a video and sending it to you because, as I mentioned, I am soooooooooooo much better on camera than just writing stuff down. But I did not know if it would get by security or maybe you might think it was a prank – old school people like yourself don’t appreciate the power of video these days. Don’t take offense about being old school, you are probably just like my dad – who is my hero. So Judge Anderson I decided to write this letter to let you know that Sheriff Baca is a good man. He’s been good to me. He’s always helped me get ahead and looked out for me and my career. I hope you can look out for him, he’s a brother who deserves another chance, just like I do. But I could have said it better in a video.
Jeremy Fennell
Deputy Sheriff, Limbus Patrum
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
http://witnessla.com/did-a-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputy-deliberately-ignore-a-gunshot-victim-radio-call/
http://witnessla.com/lasd-commander-accused-of-harassment-allegedly-bragged-about-running-illegal-errands-for-baca/
LMAO! By the time Judge Anderson reads all of these letters, Baca is going to get 300 years to life.
To The Honorable Percy Anderson,
As a leader in the Sheriff’s Department, I pledge to do right and fight wrong, and uh, um, let’s see now, be a really righteous dude or something like that. We’ll get back to that later.
I’m writing this letter to advise you about the man I know Sheriff Lee Baca to be. Every time I’ve been in his presence, I’ve been mesmerized by his brilliance and his uncanny ability to relate to people from all walks of life. His energy and enthusiasm for spreading his message of compassion is truly inspiring. Let me give you an example of his average day.
0500 hrs:Five mile run (He’s a running machine—ask the guys at SEB).
0550: Talking to the trees, clouds, bushes, birdies and squirrels during his “Cool down” period—-The man is a true nature lover. How can he be a bad guy?
0630: His driver picks him up—and briefs him on the day’s agenda.
0631: He advises his driver that dealing with department stuff can wait for another day because he has far more important tasks to attend to.
0632: His driver realizes that Sheriiff Baca is a true visionary—and his driver nods his head yes continually and tells him how brilliant he is.
0635: Enroute to see Gary Nalbandian to discuss how to keep LA safe from a terrorist attack—because Gary Nalbandian is an expert at things like that.
0705: Mr. Nalbandian advises him that all is well, but he’s got ten more buddies that need I.D. cards, badges and guns if the sheriff wants to keep LA safe.
0800: Meeting with Bishop Turner to discuss the All Faith Clergy breakfast—That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
0845: His driver stops the car so Lee can visit with a wino on 5th St.—Lee is so compassionate he slides the dude a twenty spot—Now how can you sentence a guy that caring to prison?
0855: Meeting with Michael Yamaki at Riviera Country Club—Nobody’s sure what that’s about—but you can bet Lee is compassionate about it.
I could go on Your Honor, but I’m sure by now you see what a compassionate visionary Sheriff Lee Baca is. Besides, I don’t really need to mention that meeting with the South Gate City Councilman where he gives out a few more badges and CCW’s, or that stop by the Scientology Church to get some vitamins.
Sheriff Lee Baca was the Avante-garde of law enforcement. I know this because Larry Waldie said so. Plus I’ve seen it Your Honor, it’s true.
Sheriff Baca was my mentor, my confidant, and more than a friend. He was like a father figure to me (Not like the incestuous kind he advocated for—I don’t want any rumors getting started) but I was like his son. He is who I aspired to be. He’s never said anything I could disagree with or dispute in any way for any reason. The man is a compassionate man of vision and a genius.
Please take the above into account and give Sheriff Baca probation. He needs to get back to running and talking to the birdies and squirrels.
With all due respect and sincerity Your Honor,
James Hellmold
LASD Golden Boy and all-around bitchin bad ass dude.
The Honorable Judge Anderson
Dear Judge Anderson, we are writing you on behalf of all of the retired Sheriff’s executives who have had the pleasure of serving under the command of Sheriff Lee Baca, a man of vision and a man of exceptional leadership qualities. We, who knew him so well, had the opportunity of viewing Sheriff Baca’s leadership style from the “inside” and saw his enormous qualities on a daily basis. He imparted his vast knowledge to his subordinates and led us in following in his historic footsteps, not only in our professional lives but in our personal lives as well.
Judge Anderson, in your deliberations, please consider the fact that Sheriff Baca was inspirational to a generation of Law Enforcement executives but an organization of 18,000 employees who looked to him for leadership and guidance. Indeed he has left the imprint of his legacy that will remain for years to come. This is a man who should be held up as an example, not a man forgotten by history.
Bernice Abram, Captain (Ret.)
Daniel Cruz, Captain (Ret.)
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/01/two-embattled-sheriffs-captains-retire.html
Judge, I here you got some leters from others who like Sherf Baca an don’t want him to go away to jail. I feel the same becuse he gave me a brake when he hired me when I was down and out. You see Judge, I made some mistaks in my formr job and got a bad recomendaton. I tryd to get other jobs but coldn’t find anyon hu wold hire me. An I had a litl thing with a 14 year old – butt I thot she was oldr. But him and Waldy changd the rules so he culd hire me and a bunch of others just lik me. Grate guys ho needed a job, an now they got on!
A guy hu wold do stuff like that for others loves his felo man. I want you to give him a brake to. He dont ned to go to jail, its a meen place. I now because I work their myownself eversince Sheriif Baca hird me on back in 2010. He nows that people like me can be god cops judge- him an Waldy. Hes a old man Judge an he cant last much longr nohow, so why wast jail spac on him when theirs pleanty of scumbags outthere to fill a hundrd prisons. I see em ever day. Let him go!
Dave Duff Mc Roberts
LA Dputy Shirff departmt
http://graphics.latimes.com/behind-the-badge/
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Judge Anderson, we at The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board have known former Sheriff Lee Baca for over 20 years and would like to share some of our observations over this period of time. We do so because we are aware that he stands convicted of lying to federal investigators during the course of their investigation in to the alleged inmate beatings in the Los Angeles County Jail, which were, at the time under the purview of then-Sheriff Baca. What compels us to contact you is our specific experience as it relates to his lack of veracity when he is confronted with questions he does not wish to answer and our belief that he has no control over himself to be truthful when he is compelled to explain his actions in a forthright manner.
Let us explain: Although we at the Times had known of Lee Baca for years before he actually ran for Sheriff, he was a relatively minor fixture on the local political scene, having no political base nor political backers. Our staff had contacts with him but had not had occasion to question him or his activities. All that changed when he announced that he was to be a candidate for Sheriff of Los Angeles County, running against the incumbent Sheriff, Sherman Block, who we at The Times had called to be replaced for many years. In our zest to unseat Sheriff Block, we gave candidate Baca the type of political footing he needed to conduct a viable campaign. However during the somewhat heated election campaign, candidate Baca made a number of what many thought were odd missteps in his efforts to upset Sheriff Block – a man who Baca had previously told The Times he would never run against. On each occasion when The Times would question candidate Baca regarding these “missteps“, his response would be misleading, would be contradictive to something he had previously said, or would be something that was simply untrue. In the end, The Times Editorial Board, which badly wanted to replace Sheriff Block, declined to endorse either candidate concluding that candidate Baca was……well, a liar.
Shortly before the election Sheriff Block passed away and Lee Baca was elected. In the years that followed The Times has had many occasions to question Sheriff Baca on his various actions as Sheriff of Los Angeles County. A few examples of these actions – again, some would call them missteps – were when he got involved in the pardon of a drug dealer who was the son of a local, politically connected, “friend” of Sheriff Baca. We say “got involved” because we got misleading and conflicting stories from Sheriff Baca regarding his exact role in President Clinton’s pardon of the individual. One cannot call his answers lies because The Times could never find out the truth, but it was clear that we never got the “truth” from Sheriff Baca. Another example of “truth evasion or aversion” was when there were questions raised about the duties and responsibilities of two individuals Sheriff Baca had hired as his special “Field Deputies”. A Times investigation at the time showed that the two men had virtually no duties, were never seen at the Sheriff’s Headquarters Building and no one knew what they did, if anything. The investigation revealed that one of the “Special Deputies” appeared to spend most of his time at a local country club while the other appeared to be a full time minister and landlord. Again Sheriff Baca gave misleading and conflicting accounts of what they did and never could justify their $100,000+ salaries. Again, the “truth” of the matter was something that was never obtained because of then-Sheriff Baca’s apparent unwillingness or inability to relate what was fact vs. what was conjecture or fiction. In yet another questionable incident Sheriff Baca met with the family of a young woman who was released in the middle of the night from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station and then was found later deceased on a hillside not far away. He told the family that he would investigate the matter and report to them what had happened to their loved one. The family never heard from again and he ignored their pleas for information on what had happened in this tragic case.
Through the years, there has been one consistent with first candidate, and then Sheriff Baca, and that is evasion of the truth. The examples given are only but a few of many in which now former Sheriff Baca did not or was incapable of giving forthright answers to questions put to him by The Times and others. As a result, we at The Times, had concluded that he regularly lied and through the years we at the Times had come to the conclusion that Lee Baca has a mental aversion to the truth.
Your Honor, prior to the latest trial for former Sheriff Baca, you made a ruling that there would be no psychological expert testimony allowed at the trial. The Times has it on good authority that the defense had a number of former LASD employees and executives who were prepared to give testimony that former Sheriff Baca regularly lied to his staff, (we understand they had 100’s of volunteers), that he made statements that were untrue and he regularly made promises that went unkept. They were going to back up this testimony with expert testimony that former Sheriff Baca is a “Congenital Liar”*, a person who, when confronted with an easy way out, opts to tell a lie rather than the often more difficult option of telling the truth. Individuals who suffer from such a condition have no compunction to tell the truth for the truth’s sake. They only tell the truth if it happens to fit their own personal narrative at the time – which, of course is what we at The Times had previously concluded.
Judge Anderson, we at The Times, the west coast’s bastion of egalitarianism (along with Witness LA), feel strongly that justice must prevail as it relates to this portion of the case (i.e. lying to federal investigators) and that this particular charge is a medical matter, NOT a criminal matter. We at The Times are therefore appealing to you to consider, at least as far as the false statements conviction is concerned, that Lee Baca , although convicted, is mentally incapable of actually committing the crime of lying to these investigators because he is, in fact, incapable of formulating any INTENT to do so! In other words, Your Honor, the man can’t help himself! We would hope that you allow that fact to mitigate any that proportionate portion of his sentence during your deliberations and allow justice to prevail.
Thank You,
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board
“Always looking out for the betterment of society.”
* Note: Others in the field have also referred to this affliction as a “Sycophantic Liar”, but we at The Times choose to use the more clinical term “Congenital Liar”, as the former denotes a sinister intent without a feeling of remorse. The Times contends, in this case, there is no specific intent (see final paragraph), there is no evidence one way or the other regarding remorse. Your ruling before trial precluded expert testimony which would have unmasked any feelings of regret on the part of former Sheriff Baca. Therefore, we at The Times think the term, “Sycophantic Liar“, when applied to former Sheriff Baca may be excessive. Further, we do not subscribe to the theory that former Sheriff Baca is a “Pathological Liar“, which has been defined as “falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view, may be extensive and very complicated, and may manifest over a period of years or even a lifetime.” This term has been in medical journals since 1891, and, given former Sheriff Baca’s history, seems appropriate. In elite psycho analysis practices, that term has been replaced by “Congenital Liar”, a term without the unnecessary social stigma that is often attached to “Pathological Liar”, a term so archaic that was created before women even had a right to vote! The Times, as a progressive newspaper always feels that our history should viewed as a living document and should be void of anything that was created or written when viewed by today’s standards is unacceptable in our society or would cast certain individuals in a negative light. Therefore, the calling of former Sheriff Baca a “Pathological Liar” thereby casting an unfair shadow over his character, is distasteful and unnecessary. We at The Times prefer the much more contemporary and less derogatory diagnosis of “Congenital Liar” and contend that it would be more definitively accurate. The bottom line, however, is that no matter what you call it, the man is definitely a liar.
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/25/opinion/op-35908
The author of these letters is a literary genius. Unmatched by any other postings within the annals of WLA.
Thank you Spade, but every time I see them posted I’d like to get them back for final reediting before I submit them to the Sergeant for approval. Self-editing sucks. Oh WeLLLLLLl!
I don’t know if you are the only reader, but I can tell you that there are two more letters in the mail bag (one is a 2 for 1) before what will be the obviously final letter. So stay tuned.
The Honorble Judge Percy Anderson
Your Honor, please let me endorse Lee Baca for release. He be a man who help me and my peoples. He help me with my real estate business in Rowland Heights and then put me in charge of Asian Task Forces of hole Sheriff Department. I had to quit because of my job, but he was great for me and he help asian peoples in San Gabriel Vallies.
He helps all peoples, and especially us who helped him get out the vote when he get elected. Him and Eddie Leung do good for asians, but they try too hard and things fall apart too soon and I had to leave usa.
He deserve a break because he loves all man, especially china-man.
Kenny Chang
Hong Cong, China
http://www.laweekly.com/news/bacas-debacle-2131157
Note to Spade: Found this in corner of the mail bag. Still two + one to come.
Spade isn’t the only reader of this brilliant work. ‘Hats’ you’ve got some big writing chops. Parody comes off when it reads like what could be – or has been – the truth. Then reality hits: how many lives have been made poorer by Lee’s vanity? Many thanks for comic relief, ‘Hats.’
Honorable Judge Anderson
Dear Judge Anderson, if I may take a moment of your time to share you some insight in to a man who I have known and grown to love, Lee Baca. I know he has been found guilty of several crimes in your court and I know he is willing to pay the price, but I want you to know what a quality human being this person is and how he helped me when I needed help in my life.
I met Lee Baca when I was homeless and living on the street of West Hollywood. I am an actor by trade and my acting career had not gone well. I had not the boyish charms of some, nor the mature countenance of more seasoned actors. In fact, upon reflection, I did not have much to offer, other than being from an acting family with a glorious family history in Hollywood. One day I was looking through trash cans in an alley off of Melrose when a Town Car entered the alley and a slim man got out in a Sheriff’s uniform. He approached me and I recognized the man as Sheriff Lee Baca. He asked me if I needed any money or a ride anywhere. I said I could use a ride to the North Hollywood homeless shelter where I was to lead a protest for bigger cots. He offered me a a ride and he told his chauffeur (at the time I thought it was his chauffeur – later I was surprised to find out it was a Lieutenant) to call and cancel his morning meetings because he wanted to join our protest! So he went to the protest and not only did he join in but Sheriff Baca took me and we went inside and talked to the people running the shelter. He told them he would have his jail inmates start a new prison industry by making bigger cots for homeless people, but he wanted to have a “reenactment” of the day the following week so he could have the media there where we could “reenact” the scene and he would announce a new inmate program to help the homeless. The following week we play acted the whole scene, including him and me going inside and him emerging from the meeting to announce that he was going to supply all the homeless shelters in America with oversized cots.
He was great! On, that first day, on the ride from the dumpster to the shelter he’d asked me my name and then on the ride back to my alley in West Hollywood he asked me if I was any relation to the famous actor James Whitmore. I told him he was my father. His eyes immediately lit up and he told me that my father was one of his uncle’s favorite actors and how, as a child, he and his mentally disabled uncle would watch movies starring my dad. He said I made him think of his uncle and it made him feel good just thinking about those old days. He said he also liked how I handled myself during the protest and at the meeting and THEN asked me if I’d become his spokesperson. Spokesperson! I said I was an actor, not a spokesperson, and did not know anything about law enforcement. He said you don’t need to know anything, just “ACT like you do!” He was so insightful. He knew all I needed to do was play the role of spokesperson. Be an ACTOR! I was perfect for the job. No leading man looks. No mature bearing. Just play a role and give a story line. Read a script or do an improv when off-script. The man, who has a Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California, is truly a genius when it comes to analysis and visualization. He could see exactly how I could fill a much needed roll in his organization. So after the reenactment, I became his spokesperson. A full time gig. My first in years AND this one came with a car!
I then went to work for the man and we made quite an effective team and weathered many, I say MANY – a storm together. We even became quite good friends and shared our love of old movies – he often reminisced about watching old Laurel and Hardy movies with his uncle. He even told me he kept a couple of his executives around – who he said were “worthless” – only because they reminded him of the two. He loved his uncle, and it was clear that his uncle loved him. I think I owe my job to his uncle…………and my dad.
You Honor, I wish you would see it in you heart to give compassionate consideration to this wonderful man. Granted he made a few missteps along the way and for many of them I was his “front man” having to explain them away. He always said to me, “Don’t worry, it’ll all blow over in a few days – when LAPD fucks up.” And it always did when they always did! But this time Your Honor, it isn’t blowing over without your help. There is no LAPD to bail him out. I beg of you; he is old, he is sick and he can’t wait for this one to blow over. Not this time.
Steve Whitmore
6th St. Homeless Shelter
The big cot at the end of row 8
http://www.laweekly.com/news/the-10-most-depressing-excerpts-from-sheriff-spokesman-steve-whitmores-personal-blog-2394570
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Los Angeles California
Honorable Judge Anderson, I am writing you on behalf of Lee Baca, currently before you in your esteemed court. I have known former Sheriff Baca for over 40 years and have found him to be an honorable and caring man. He is an individual who often goes out of his way assist those around him and those who need his assistance in order to advance in life. Please permit me to explain:
I was in a group of co-workers who regularly played golf with Lee Baca (if I may, I will refer to him as “Lee”). There were about 6 of us who gathered on Saturdays at a local golf club for a friendly round. At the beginning Lee was a Commander on the Sheriff’s Department, I was a Lieutenant, but rank within this group meant little – it was all about camaraderie, friendship and competition among friends. There was in this group, a rather rotund, obnoxious co-worker who, despite his shortcomings, was like the group’s “pet.” Everyone just said, “Oh, that’s just Larry.” and laughed it off. It became a joke frankly and it became a looked-upon pleasure and a part of being in the group. It was something like “What’s he going to do next?” and the group would take joy in the guy’s antics. Well, Lee did not like the way the group took pleasure at the expense of one of their own. It did not matter to Lee that this individual regularly moved his ball when he thought no one was looking. It did not matter to Lee that this individual often “posted” an improper score so that his “index” would be inaccurate (and he had an advantage in our little wagers). What mattered to Lee was that this individual, although totally oblivious to the fact, was serving as the entertainment for the rest of the group and was someone that the rest of the group greatly enjoyed laughing at.
As the years went by, Lee got promoted to Chief and soon the talk in the group was about the often rumored speculation that he would run for Sheriff. One Saturday we asked him “Are you running for Sheriff?” He answered: “ No, WE are running for Sheriff!” “We?” we responded. “Yes, you are looking at my executive staff!” Well, there were high-fives and hugs all around. Never mind that several in our group were no higher than Lieutenants he said, “You’ll all soon be Commanders, at least.” I was a Commander at the time and he pointed to me and said I’d be Assistant Sheriff and pointed to our obnoxious co-worker, also a Commander, and said “And you’ll be the other Assistant Sheriff.” (Needless to say, we were horrified at that thought!) I looked over at Lee and he had a look in his face as if he had just petted a new-found puppy dog. He had done something for “the underdog, the little guy” (although this guy was far from little) , the guy who no one, I mean NO ONE, thought could possibly ascend to a higher rank. He felt SOOOOO GOOD!
Needless to say, our little group were behind Lee from that day. We knew what was in if for US and we were tireless workers – although we had doubts about Lee as Sheriff. He DID have some strange……eh, quirks. Well, WE won! And I got my promised position where I got to see that “look” on the face of Lee Baca many, many times. He would go against conventional wisdom to help the “little guy – the underdog.” No matter how much it would cost the tax payer, nor how unorthodox an idea, he would say, “I don’t care what it costs. I’m the Sheriff, DO it!” I remember a time when he attended a protest of the homeless and came back saying that the homeless wanted bigger cots in their shelters. He said, “Start a program with our prisoners making oversized cots. We are going to give them to the homeless.“ When we told the staff what we were going to do, they balked saying that the start-up cost for such an enterprise (heavy duty sewing machines, metal bending machines, etc) was going to be in excess of one half a million dollars, he didn’t blink an eye, saying “I don’t care what it costs. These people need my help and I’m the Sheriff, DO it!” And of course he had that “look” that I loved so much when he said it. He was helping the “little guy.” Later the staff came back and reported that they could purchase cots for far less than it would cost than make them but the Sheriff would have none of it – this was that HE wanted to do for the downtrodden. So, we followed the lead of our boss, the visionary, and made the cots. And, of course, the program was a huge success with much media acclaim – he even had a huge media event, including national correspondents, at the North Hollywood Homeless Shelter with his new spokesperson hosting the event. That program was his crowing jewel program – one of many – that helped to make Sheriff Baca the “National Sheriff of the Year” in 2013. I was so proud of him and it was times like that I had been proud to able to call him “boss.”
Judge Anderson, if you care for the “little guy”, this is your chance to pay back a Champion for the little guys of this world. Show the kind of compassion he has shown his entire life and give him probation so that he may continue working on behalf of the world’s underdogs. I plead of you, in your esteemed wisdom to give him his freedom to show his love of his fellow man. He is not done. With freedom he will come up with new programs for his fellow man and I will be there to help – between golf games – no matter what his projects cost the taxpayers of LA County.
William (Bill) Stonich
Undersheriff (Ret.)
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
A non-LA County resident
The Honorable Percy Anderson
Los Angeles California
Honorable Judge Anderson, I am writing you on behalf of Lee Baca, a man who I worked directly for as his second in command for 6 years while serving as Undersheriff of Los Angeles County. As his second in command I got to know this man very well and got to know what is in his huge heart.
Your Honor, beyond serving as his second in command for 6 years, I’ve known Sheriff Baca for nearly 50 years. In fact, he was my Drill Instructor at the Academy and was I lucky. Lucky because he didn’t really care about the spit and polish stuff that all the other D.I.’s were yelling about all day long. No, he cared more about us as human beings. He cared that we had a good night sleep. He told us, “Don’t worry about that stuff. Get extra sleep so you don’t fall asleep in class.” Judge, that was music to my ears because I DO like to sleep and I really did not have very good uniform appearance . My uniform in fact was the subject of jokes by the other D.I.’s but it never bothered me because D.I. Baca would tell me: “As long as you are in my platoon, you can look like crap and they can’t touch you.” I loved the man! I could tell the other D.I.’s were upset, but D.I. Baca didn’t seem to mind, he just told us he wanted all of us to graduate – no matter what we looked like, no matter how we shot, and no matter what our grades were. He cared for us a human beings! If we knew an answer to a test question, he wanted us to share it with the guy sitting behind us. We even set up a little system – one tap of your pencil for “a”, two taps for “b” and so on. And because I like to sleep, I decided to let my fellow platoon members to give me some help passing the weekly written exams. It really worked out well. The other guys didn’t really care much for the system, but D.I. Baca had insisted that we needed to help each other and I kept reminding them what he wanted – you know, teamwork and how “disappointed“ he‘d be if they let down a fellow platoon mate. In the end, D.I. Baca knew what he was doing it because we DID graduate everyone in our platoon while all of the other platoons lost a LOT of people – a couple of them might have even made decent cops some day. He showed me right there how much he really cared for people. He is quite a guy!
I remained a friend of Sheriff Baca through the years, I knew he’d look out for me and I would look out for him. Little did I know that years later I actually had a chance to help him run to become Sheriff! He ran because he needed to get rid of the old Sheriff because….well he was old. In fact he died just before the election. That’s how old he was! So my old D.I., and later friend, Lee Baca became Sheriff! He told me he wanted me to be his Assistant Sheriff – I was a Commander at the time – and knew I could handle the job. He said he needed to get his feet on the ground and after a year he would make me his Undersheriff. So a year later he calls me in to his office and tells me that he needs to make the other Assistant Sheriff the next Undersheriff. He tells me he needs someone who will go along with “plans” he has for the Department and knows this other guy will go along with whatever he wants. He says “Larry, you are critical thinker” who always is thinking logically, while the other guy is just a rah, rah guy who is nothing more than a cheerleader. He says “You know Bill, he always says, ‘Whatever the Sheriff wants.” and then he points out how this other guy rallied behind Lee’s idea to put a float in the Rose Parade. He says “Bill even went around and made the other execs contribute to the cost of the thing. Threatened them with future promotions and everything. I need someone who will be my bag man.” Lee says that I was too level headed for the Undersheriff job at that point and wanted the other guy be his “front guy” for all of his projects. He knew I thought some of his “projects” were a little on crazy side and couldn’t get behind them while the other guy would “cheerlead” whatever he proposed – no questions asked. I was disappointed, but I understood.
So, that’s how we rolled. I was the level headed Assistant Sheriff for a few years and the other guy was the Undersheriff who was mindlessly backing all of the Sheriff’s projects. Just like the idea the Sheriff came up with to make “Oversized Cots” for the homeless. He wanted to make them with inmate labor in the jail. Staff looked in to it and determined that the start up costs would be over 3.5 million dollars ( .5 million for equipment and another 3 million to rehabilitate a facility to accommodate the project), they also looked in to the costs of the materials, the costs of supervision of the inmates and costs of security oversight. By the time the total costs were factored in and IF we produced ONE MILLION cots (the estimated that it would take 23 years to produce a million cots), each cot would cost $1,213! They also found that we could BUY and relabel commercially available cots like the “TETON Sports Outfitter XXL” cots at a cost $106. When staff reported back their findings to Sheriff Baca, he said he wanted to make them ourselves, no matter the costs. Staff looked to the Undersheriff for backing and, predictably, he said “Whatever the Sheriff wants. DO it!” I looked over at my old D.I and friend and he looked at me and winked! I almost laughed! He knew exactly why he had picked that guy to be Undersheriff. As it turned out that, only the homeless mission in North Hollywood wanted the oversized cots – a total of 62 cots. None of the rest of the shelters would take any of the cots because they took up too much room and would cut down the number of people they could house. We even heard that the North Hollywood shelter only took the cots because of the national publicity and the cots the took forced them to displace 18 people from their facility – and later they threw away the cots and replaced them with normal cots to allow the 18 people to return. We eventually closed the program and took thousands of cots to the dump – they were not good for anything like camping because they did not come apart like regular camping cots, so they were useless. In the post-program analysis of our set-up, facility modification, supervision, security and production costs, we determined that each cot we actually produced cost $32,658. I think the Sheriff’s spokesperson actually took one cot as a souvenir of his first “project” with the Sheriff – he got a very expensive cot!
Judge I only tell this story to illustrate the fact that Sheriff Baca played no favorites. Even though he had told me I would be the next Undersheriff, a job I held for 6 years, he gave the job to someone he knew did not deserve it because this individual was one who fit the role at that particular time. He KNEW what was best for his goals and put friendship aside.
Anyway, after a couple of years, Sheriff Baca suggested to this guy that it was time to retire (the Sheriff told me he was ready for some level-headed leadership, not mindless cheerleading) and I took over as second in command as Undersheriff, a position I held for 6 years.
So, Judge Anderson, in considering you disposition of Lee Baca, please consider that he is a fair-minded individual who has always had the best interests of people and the citizens of Los Angeles County in mind. He plays no favorites and his transgressions in this matter were only because, when I left office, I did not sit on and crush the life out of that little weasel who took my position as Undersheriff of the Los Angeles County Sheriff‘s Department, a position I held for 6 years.
Lawrence “Larry” Waldie
Undersheriff, Retired
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Wetingleurdingle Massage, Walnut, Ca.
Public Notice
Re: Defendant Leroy Baca. Case 2:16-cr-00066-PA
To whom it may concern
Posted as required per Title 18 U.S. Code § 9774.7(c)
The Court’s obligations for sentencing under Title 18 U.S. Code § 3582, it must be mindful of all information gathered, as outlined under Dillon v. United States (09-6338) and must include input from all relevant sources. Those sources may or may not have influence on The Court’s final judgment as The Court has considerable sentencing latitude after the Supreme Court determined in United States v. Booker that the Sentencing Guidelines were only advisory and not mandatory.
Thus far The Court has received 229 written letters in support of Defendant Leroy D. Baca, or perhaps, in the interest of accuracy, The Court has received one letter repeated 229 times with 229 different signatures. The Court hereby rules that these “letters” are “form letters”, possibly gathered at a single location, possibly outside a Walmart in Rowland Heights. In it’s deliberations The Court will factor the weight of this individual letter versus the totality of the other individual letters submitted to The Court as well as other information gathered by The Court – see U.S. Garner. These individual letters gathered by The Court were via electronic media on an internet site known as “Witness LA.Com,” an electronic media source The Court regularly consults. These letters clearly are not “form” letters and are likewise clearly written by real people with real-life experiences with Defendant Baca. As stated, Per U.S. v Garner, The Court will be consider and evaluate these letters individually.
The Court is compelled by U.S. Title 7 § 28.69 to give Judicial Notice that the individual letters submitted by the persons named below will be submitted at part of the official court record at the § 3582(c)(2) sentencing proceedings and will thereafter be an official a part of the court’s documents relating to this case. Additionally,The Court will submit ONE letter, which The Court hereby rules to be a “form letter” and attach a list of names – many of which are illegible – indicating these individuals signed a single letter. That single letter will likewise be an official part of the court’s files..
Per U.S. Title 7 § 102-118.80, The Court is required to give a notice of “acknowledgement and receipt” to authors who have submitted letters of consideration during the sentencing deliberation period. Per § 102-118.80 (d) the method of notice is a response, “in-kind” to the authors of the submitted letters. Therefore an appropriate written acknowledgement and receipt will be sent, via US mail, to the fourteen persons who submitted the signed version of the single letter and also included their return addresses, all in Rowland Heights.
Those 215 individuals who signed and submitted a copy of the written letter but did not include a return address will not be given a acknowledgement and receipt per § 102-118.80 (c).
Per § 102-118.80 (d) this electronic transmittal will suffice as acknowledgement and receipt to those individuals who submitted their letter by electronic transmission via WitnessLA.com. This transmittal will likewise be transmitted to WitnessLA.com as required by § 102-121.10 (a) .
The following individuals are hereby electronically notified of their acknowledgement and receipt of their letter of comment in the case of U.S. v Leroy Baca, Case 2:16-cr-00066-PA , as required per U.S. Title 7 § 102-118.80 and set forth in § 102-118.80 (d), and are as follows:
Bernice Abram, LASD (Ret.)
Kenny Chang, Hong Cong
Daniel Cruz, LASD (Ret)
Nob Dickersom, NMCLA
Jeremy Fennell, LASD (Limbus Patrum)
James Hellomod, LASD
David J. Jones, Pelican Bay Ca.
L.A. Times Editorial Board
Dave Duff McRoberts, LASD
William Stonich, LASD (Ret)
Paul Tanaka, Edgwood, Co.
Edward Turner, Power of Love Ministries
Carlos Vignali, Leavenworth, Kansas
Lawrence Waldie, LASD (Ret)
Steve Whitmore, 6th St Homeless Shelter
Additionally, Per U.S. Title 7 § 32.75 (b), The Court is giving Judicial Notice that the links embedded within the electronic letters have been reviewed by The Court as background information. Per U.S. vs Peabody, The Court has ruled that these links contain information that is pertinent to reaching a fair and impartial sentencing judgment in this case and, as such, per § 3582(d)(1), the information contained within these links – various news and blog articles – will be submitted as part of the official court proceedings. As allowed under U.S. Title 7 § 102-121.32, this electronic posting will serve as public notice regarding The Court’s consultation of the following articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/22/us/a-convict-in-the-storm-s-eye-had-plenty-of-other-help.html
http://www.laweekly.com/news/las-underground-power-broker-2140006
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sheriff-pastor-20131114-story.html
http://www.christianpost.com/news/la-pastor-found-to-be-owner-of-marijuana-shop-property-sheriffs-department-dismisses-church-leader-as-field-deputy-108812/
http://www.laweekly.com/news/why-did-sheriff-lee-baca-want-to-keep-fathers-who-molest-their-daughters-out-of-jail-2390400
http://witnessla.com/did-a-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputy-deliberately-ignore-a-gunshot-victim-radio-call/
http://witnessla.com/lasd-commander-accused-of-harassment-allegedly-bragged-about-running-illegal-errands-for-baca/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/01/two-embattled-sheriffs-captains-retire.html
http://graphics.latimes.com/behind-the-badge/
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/25/opinion/op-35908
http://www.laweekly.com/news/bacas-debacle-2131157
http://www.laweekly.com/news/the-10-most-depressing-excerpts-from-sheriff-spokesman-steve-whitmores-personal-blog-2394570
It is so ruled,
The Most Honorable Percy Anderson,
Judge, United States District Court for The Central District of California,
cc Brandon Fox, outfoxed@screwadep.gov
Nathan Hochman, hockone@saveadick.com
In the famous words of Porky Pig (no, not Larry Waldie!), “Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th… That’s all, folks!”
BRAVO!!!