Reform at the LA DA's Office

A Close Look at Why Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón Asked the Board of Supes to Let Him Hire a Special Prosecutor to Examine Problematic Police Shootings

Celeste Fremon
Written by Celeste Fremon

During her eight-year tenure, former Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey was repeatedly criticized  for her failure to file charges in the cases of all but one of the fatal on-duty police shootings that occurred on her watch.

Her single filing was against LA County Sheriff’d Deputy Liu who allegedly shot seven times at unarmed motorist, Francisco Garcia, who was driving away from the deputy after being pulled over, as Liu reportedly  ran alongside Garcia’s car, firing his service weapon into the vehicle, mortally wounding Garcia.  This occurred in front of several civilian witnesses.

Among the fatal shootings where Lacey decided not to file,  was the 2015 killing of Brendon Glenn, a homeless, mentally ill skateboarder, who was shot near the Venice boardwalk after a call came in that he was bothering people.  The case, which was caught on video, caused even then Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck to call for the officer who shot Glenn to be prosecuted.

“He unreasonably believed that his life was in danger, therefore he took a life,” Beck said of the deadly actions of LAPD Officer Clifford Proctor.

At the times when Lacey’s office appeared to simply have no choice to bring charges against a member of law enforcement, such as the case of former LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Giancarlo Scotti, who was accused of sexually assaulting six women different women in the county’s main women’s jail, Century Regional Detention Center, as WitnessLA has reported in the past, Lacey’s office dialed the charges back to sweetheart deal status, claiming incredibly that that prosecutors wouldn’t be able to prove more serious charges in front of a jury.  Instead Los Angeles County has paid out $5,175,000 in civil claims to women Scotti assaulted.

During the months that newly elected LA District Attorney George Gascón was running for office against Lacey, among his reform promises was the pledge to reevaluate certain fatal officer-involved shooting cases that Lacey’s office had turned away.  The case of Brendon Glenn was one of the four that he listed among his examples.

Former Federal Prosecutor Lawrence Middleton, soon to be Special Prosecutor for LA DA’s office

This past Friday, February 12, Gascón took a significant step in the direction of keeping that particular campaign promise with the news that he intends to hire a special prosecutor to oversee this policy of reevaluation.  Furthermore, he feels he has the right person for the position — namely veteran federal prosecutor Lawrence S. Middleton.

(More on Middleton in a minute.)

Things have progressed in the hiring process to the point that Gascón sent an official letter to the members of the county’s Board of Supervisors, asking for their authorization to hire Middleton for a four year contract, with options to extend.

“To promote public confidence in the decision-making process and the outcome of any such investigations,” he wrote to the board members, “the DA has determined the need for a Special Prosecutor to reevaluate, and if the facts support it, to criminally prosecute any officers whose actions unlawfully caused the death of the victims in those cases.”

The purpose of this initiative  is to continue the county’s commitment to criminal justice, Gascón wrote in his hiring request letter (that WLA has obtained).

Gascón characterized the plan as “a positive step in rebuilding relationships in our community.”

Rodney King and the reasoning behind charging & not charging officers

Middleton appears to be a promising choice.   He has more than three decades experience as a trial lawyer, with 29 years spent as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, where he served as Chief of the Criminal Division, as well as Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Chief of the Public Corruption and Government Fraud Section.  He finally left the feds in the summer of 2019 to go into private practice.

In his beginning years with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middleton was likely best known as being one of the four attorneys who successfully prosecuted the federal civil rights case against the LAPD officers charged with violating the constitutional rights of Rodney King, the same officers who had earlier been famously acquitted on April 29, 1992, by a mostly white jury in Simi Valley, after most of America had seen the video of unformed men seemingly using all their strength to repeatedly beat the downed and writhing King in what appeared to be a terrible ballet of savagery.

 For his work on the King case, Middleton won the U.S. Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award.

More recently, it was Lawrence Middleton who supervised the high-profile, and far more complex investigation and prosecution of corruption and civil rights abuses by members of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, including former Sheriff Lee Baca, and former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka.

With those cases and more in-between, Middleton has repeatedly had the chance to see what bringing charges of police misconduct looks like from the side of both the prosecution and the defense.  (Middleton was also a U.S. Air Force JAG lawyer.)

 He explained some of what he has observed over the years in a May 2020 interview on the podcast Talking Feds, where he was interviewed by Henry Littman, an LA Times columnist who is himself a former US Attorney.

Littman initially asked Middleton about his view of officer prosecutions in the case of the death of George Floyd.  Yet, Middleton also took time to address the general issues at play when it comes to charging officers whose on-duty actions have resulted in the injury or death of a community member.

Among other things, he said, “you have to show,” that the officer, who is acting under the color of law, “intended to violate the constitutional rights” of the individual who was harmed.

In other words, Middleton said, “you have to show that he intended to use force that was unreasonable, that he knew was unreasonable,” which is not an easy standard to prove, he said.

Furthermore, Middleton observed, when federal or local prosecutors are deciding to bring charges in an OIS or DIS, the matter of how different people view a shooting by police presents it’s own challenges, because of the very different experiences community members — and potential jurors — have had with the police.

“You’re asking people to look at the very same set of facts, and try to reach the same conclusion in terms of guilt or innocence,” he said.  “And at the same time, they’re having to apply [their own] totally different experiences dealing with the police.”

What kind of cases?

With all the above challenges and more in mind, four of the cases that Middleton will likely be examining first when he comes on the job at the DA’s office, are the following, according to Gascón.

1. Brendon Glenn: As mentioned above, the 2015 shooting of Brendon Glenn will be among those cases scheduled for another look.  (Here’s the video.) Gascón’s preliminary rundown about the case needs reopening states that “failing to comply with an officer’s directions does not justify the use of deadly force, particularly when there is not an imminent threat. Specifically, the timing and sequence of Officer Proctor’s shots into the back of an unarmed, intoxicated, and mentally ill homeless man who was bent over facing away from the officers, raises serious concerns about an imminent threat.”

2. Ricardo Diaz Zeferino was shot by a member of the Gardena Police Department in 2013. According to the DA’s report, Zeferino was unarmed and with two other people who were victims of a bike theft, yet mistaken by police as suspects. The Gardena Police officers argued that Zeferino was ignoring instructions and dropping and raising his hands, which “does not appear to justify lethal force especially when no weapon was seen or suspected,” according to Gascón’s initial analysis.

3. Hector Morejon  was shot by members of the Long Beach Police Department in 2015. “Officer Meyer,” states the report on the shooting, “without announcing himself, aimed his firearm inside the window of a residence occupied by squatters in response to a simple trespass call. He shot Morejon when he claimed that ‘Morejon took a firing stance.’ District Attorney Jackie Lacey,” the report states,  “focused on the lack of credibility of the witnesses inside the residence in declining to prosecute this case.” Among other things, such a “stance would have required Morejon to face Officer Meyer,” states the report, “and that is not consistent the autopsy results which reflect Morejon having been shot in the back.”

4.  Christopher Deandre Mitchell:  In this 2018 fatal incident, Mitchell was shot by members of the Torrance Police Department when he reportedly moved his hands “one second after being given instructions to ‘Get out of the car!’ After the shooting, both officers described seeing the stock of a long firearm between Mitchell’s legs. However, neither officer notified their respective partner of the existence of a weapon during the encounter, contrary to standard protocols, raising questions as to the existence of their perceptions–let alone misperceptions–of a threat,” according to the DA’s report.

“In acknowledgement of the concerns raised by law enforcement officials, civil rights attorneys, activists, and others,” Gascon wrote of the list, he “asked a retired judge and a former senior trial attorney under President Obama’s Department of Justice’s civil rights division to assist me in reviewing a number of concerning cases where officers used fatal force.”

But there are others. While the list of four is a place to begin, Gascón reportedly wants his office to dig far deeper in a review of the county’s police shootings, likely going as far back as 2012.

“The reality,” he said in a statement referring to his own nearly 30 years in law enforcement, “is that too often our profession has failed to hold its own to the same standards that we impose on the communities we are sworn to protect and serve. That has created a chasm that the public largely views as a two-tiered system of justice; one for ‘us’ and one for ‘them.'”

To repair this harm, wrote DA Gascón, “we must meet the demands of the public, and we must hold ourselves to the same standards as we do the communities we police.”

Disturbing valentines

As if to demonstrate the need for accountability, on Saturday, February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day, the news broke that the LAPD had launched an internal investigation after an officer reported that a photo of George Floyd with the words “You take my breath away” was placed into what resembled a pink, heart-strewn Valentine’s Day card, and that the image was being “passed around” by other officers, according to Chief Michel Moore.

As more on the news of the “valentine” continued to circulate, Gascón tweeted his own reaction on Monday morning, February 15.


Gascón later said that the DA’s Office would be “looking into this matter to determine if the integrity of any of our cases may have been compromised by biased police work.”

City Attorney Mike Feuer condemned the matter, as has a growing list of other city officials, who praised Chief Michel Moore for his quick launch of an internal investigation.

“No one with racist views has any place in our police force,” said Feuer in a statement. “Whoever participated in this incident stains the badge, and undermines the efforts of officers throughout the department who strive to earn the trust and respect of the communities they serve.”

 

89 Comments

  • So, he has hundreds of DA’s but he does not think they can do the job. So he wants permission (more money) from the board to hire someone to a job he has people already there to do. Better yet, if he is so bad ass why doesn’t he just look at or take the case himself. I’m sure he could do a great job at trial…oops, he has never done a trial…..this guy is a joke.

  • Gascon is a walking, talking pile of excrement. He is at war with cops. The sooner he is gone the better. So he needs to investigate the “Floyd Valentine”? WTF for, it has nothing to do with his office, LAPD brass is handling it. This is typical cop humor, get a grip. Not about his race, if he were White someone would have come up with it. EVERYTHING ISN’T ABOUT RACE YOU FING CLOWNS!!! He’s taking the opportunity to initiate a Witch Hunt, nothing more.
    Gascon cares nothing about the safety of the community, only about doing what he can to find what he believes to be bad cops. He’s obsessed in his mission to weaken law enforcement’s ability to deal with thugs. He knows his ADA’s are square shooters so he needs to go outside to get someone who thinks like him to do his ridiculous bidding. Looks like he’s found his wing man.
    In the real world, crime keeps going up, more Blacks and Hispanics keep getting murdered and you SJW’s and your boy Gascon stay quiet.
    Why?
    Great time off in a winter wonderland.

  • This strategy is a lot less risky than defunding the police or emptying prisons and jails. It’s all about playing up to up scale liberals egos. The left got a little carried away in the war against Trump, and as they said in the movie “tropic thunder “ went full retard. As the movie pointed out, you should never go full retard.

    Interesting to see if Gascon pivots away from emptying jails and more towards show trials against cops. Probably a safer career option for Gascon considering his constituency.

  • One of my friends who is a Black police officer said he was involved in a tussle with a suspect while wearing his protective anti-COVID mask. He said during the time of the struggle he remembers becoming winded and making the comment “I can’t breath”. The combination of the struggle, equipment and anti-COVID mask REALLY made it difficult for him to breath he said. He said later he was worried someone who might have heard him utter these words or had a cell phone out recording might put the video up. He also said he had experienced Black suspects while handcuffed making the comment “I can’t breath” and try to use it like a get out of jail card.

    This seems silly but is the new reality I guess. Sad!

  • Gascon resigns from CA DA Association…

    https://laist.com/latest/post/20210216/gascon-blasts-da-association-as-anti-reform-resigns

    Interesting, did he resign in protest or did his peers shun him causing him to “pack up his toys and leave the sand box”? I’m sure the members are glad he’s gone. He should go join the California Public Defenders Association. I’m sure they already have an ID card and space reserved for him at the head of table. At least Sheriff AV has not been under constant rebuke, criticism, doubt and questioning by those who really matter, his fellow Sheriff’s in California or the staff who work for him? The SJW warriors and Gascon fanboys should be concerned by the vote of no confidence by his DA staff or many of his fellow California District Attorney’s. The support of a DA in other state who is nothing more than a like minded pupet that is bought and paid for by George Soros is akin to a vote of confidence by Mussolini, Pol Pot or Stalin in support of Adolf Hilter. A peer group can be made up of sick minded maniacs, psychopaths, killers and sociopaths can it not?

    He and his woke Comrade Newsome better hope the Biden administration drops them a life line soon. They can’t keep treading water and relying on a favorable media to keep the skeletons hidden for much longer. Look at Cuomo, he’s done! Maybe his brother can get him on at CNN.

  • “No one with racist views has any place in our police force,” said Feuer. Fifi is right, they are at war with cops. Based on Mike’s comment, it does not sound that he wants the regulars from this site on the force.

    Fifi, I think you are off your meds and getting a bit paranoid. No one is out to get you. Again, if they can fire a kid at Burger King for sending such an email, why not someone on the public dime. For what we pay, I expect better judgment. And, I dare say, cops in better shape.

    Sour Deez, the reason he needs a special prosecutor is because of conflict of interest. Prosecutors need police officers for their cases, and some are regulars in court, so they have a conflict. You need someone who does not need an officer to make his other cases. Not perfect, but better.

    Madame Kong, I wish you would follow the advice in the movie. You appear not to follow it many a time.

    All Good Things, if I understand you correctly, your friend got winded because of the tussle and had some difficulty breathing because of the mask. And, he just happened to blurt out, I can’t breathe. I can see Eric Gardner saying that when a cop has a knee on his back and wants him off, but not someone making a comment out loud. Perhaps to avoid any misunderstanding, he should just stop breathing.

    Healthy Septic, yes, you are correct that a peer group can be made up of such people. Exhibit 1 is in the comments on this site.

  • Gascon unseats a female black DA who headed the largest local prosecutors office in the Country than calls out the California DA Association for being to white. Voters are beginning to question his competency and reform measures, so he pulls the race card.

    Is this really what you want in a District Attorney?

  • One of the most tedious things about cf his attitude towards lower wage employees (fast food workers and Walmart employees to name a few). He takes is as a given he is superior to such a lowly class, so much so that comparing someone to them is an insult. It reveals his wokness as a cover for his personal issues and grudges, nasty little piece of work really.

  • Childish Fool, “WEAK”. The appointment of a special prosecutor is not necessary as the LA County DA’s office already has Deputy DA’s assigned to handle cases involving law enforcement. If Gascon thinks he has spies or people in his department who can’t do their job he can go through the process to replace them. Now if DA Gascon does not trust his own staff why doesn’t he put his “trial suit on” and show them how it’s done? Oh, right he’s never tried a case but has a law degree for show and to “check off the box” as they say. The problem is Gascon’s staff and apparently some members of the LA County Superior Court bench don’t trust Gascons’s “judicial reasoning”. Childish Fool, you can whimper, make all the snarky remarks you want, use juvenile insults and make racist comments with impunity on this site but I trust the judgement of the hundreds of practicing Deputy DA’s who’ve actually tried cases, members of the CDAA and sitting judges over Gascon.

    Oh, I’m proud to call many on this site peers. Who and where is your peer group? In mental hospitals, living on the streets and sponging off the tax payers or just hanging out in your parents basement waiting for them to kick the bucket.

    Why don’t you show All Good Things cop friend how to “stop breathing”? Seeing is believing you know. He’s just a cop you know, I’m sure he can’t figure it out for himself. Hell, once people see you do it, I’m sure many other folks will follow suit.

  • CF’s concern for the victims of violent crime has been shown when? Always concerned about people staying “here” not towing the line. Filled with cop hate on a cop hate site.
    Wonder why that could possibly be.

  • Yes a special prosecutor is definitely needed, perfect example would be the Baca/Tanaka Pandora’s Box.

    If not for the FBI, LASD would another corruption story in the annals of Law Enforcement.

  • Madame Kong, I think you miss the point. I am one of the lowly class, not too far from the bottom of the rung. I do not consider myself better or smarter. In fact, I have told you that I am not very bright, which is why I frequent this site, for the company. I am not putting the kid at Burger King or Walmart down. I am telling you that you, cops, are no better than them and you should be treated no better than they are treated. You get benefits they do not, you get away with things they can not, so if you get those benefits they should too. If they do not, you should not. I have more respect for the kid at Burger Kid than I do for your and your ilk.

    Conspiracy, they may, but what has the person accomplished. Nothing. That is the problem. So, now they have to bring in someone from outside; someone who is not going to have conflict or catch flack from his colleagues for prosecuting the very people they need to make their case.

    Seeking the Truth, the race card? If it is a Lazy or a Thomas, white folk will put out the race card and say, she those are good blacks and they support us. Do not be such a simpleton in how you view the world like the racist, portly entertainer who recently went to the hereafter.

  • And you really believe the FBI with all the recent scandal, partisanship and unethical behavior shown and uncovered over the last four years is the “white in shining armor” that will come along and save the day? The LASD scandal you talk about went in for years and the BOS and political power players in Los Angeles all new about it and played along. The problems would have never been uncovered if not for a power hungry second in command. It ultimately turned into a let’s see whose biggest contest with the FED’s dropping the hammer not out of a sense of moral decency and nobility but to show whose boss. Many a Federal Prosecutor made a name for themselves and further their career around this.

    No high hopes here for a special prosecutor to ride in on a high horse and come in and save the day. I believe the division that investigates law enforcement does it job without fanfare and broadcasting what it does to the media and public. What times are we living in? I guess we are mirroring the time of the Roman empire when the public wants to sit in an arena and watch bloodsport?

  • Cf they’re not all “kids”. Even when your pretending to respect low wage workers you can’t keep your contempt from leaking out. You’re a little man with the little man’s complex and the world doesn’t show you the respect you think you deserve. Some cop somewhere embarrassed you and now cops have become the focus of your rage. The social justice stuff is just cover for an angry little man raging against a world of perceived tormentors.

  • The cop hater Gascon is more concerned with cops who shoot worthless gangsters and thugs than those types who shoot us, just like his boy, or more likely girl, CF. Just took the Death Penalty off the table for the gangster scum who murdered his own cousin, wounded one cop and murdered Whittier Cop Keith Boyer and was really happy he did. Yeah, Gascon’s days are numbered, count on it. Another nail in his coffin. Little Mikie Mejia’s picture is making the rounds all over the place and being tied to Gascon’s smiling face. Way to go Georgie!

  • As Gascon very well should.
    Of course every cop attributed to Brady List is not is guilty but the ones that are give good Cops a bad name.

  • The Code of Silence among the ranks in Law Enforcement is costly and does more harm than good within itself.

  • Stop parroting the “Blue Wall of Silence” narrative. This is 2021 and not some 1970’s police sitcom. The truth is all professions put up a wall of silence as you say when it comes to exposing bad actors amongst their ranks. Lawyers do it, teachers do it, doctors do it, politicians surely do it and we all know the clergy does it just to name a few professions. So let’s stop the finger pointing and use of broad brush strokes to advance a point of view that is old and played out. We have videos cameras all around, hostile media reporting and an entire new generation of law enforcement officers who would much prefer to keep their jobs than be the story of the week.

  • Not an excuse just a refute to a tired old trope akin to labeling someone a “racist” when one’s position is weak, they got nothing and all else fails.

    Hail Merry!

  • Your refute is to deny existence specifically when called out.

    From the mouth of former LASD
    Under Sheriff & current Federal Prisoner Paul Tanaka, ” I was not raised to be a whistleblower”…

    I’m sure Paul taking his sentence like a
    “O.G.” What a helluva example!

  • Google “LASD corruption” & you’ll find more on LASD whistleblowing….

    Also, Part Four of “Dangerous Jails” for Paul’s attitude towards LASD’s Internal Affairs; that, too, can be Googled.

  • Self policing within a department is counterproductive to a certain extent.

    The low hanging fruit are the only ones that get punished and sentenced while cronies get promoted, nothing new there.

    Always a no brainer is most large agencies.

  • In the military when the troops don’t perform to standard the commander gets relieved; something like that is needed in Law Enforcement.

  • Let’s also remember society, the media, politicians and DA’s have gone to extreme measures to ensure members of law enforcement are not treated differently, above the law or any better than any other members of society. With this comes the reality law enforcement personnel are mere mortals and not some “ubermench” spawned from the marriage of lady justice and God. They are just people drawn from members of society with all of the faults, ticks, hung-ups, biases and bad habits present in everyday peoples. So let’s not try to take position of superiority and go for blood when members of law enforcement make mistakes or exhibit the same quirks, hang-ups, biases or human faults all humans do. There are honest, hardworking, moral police officers and there will always be some who aren’t. They just people doing a job like everybody else.

    I wish all organizations and society adopted the philosophy that those at the top are responsible for everything and everyone under their control. One of the first places it should be put into practice is with regards to parents being held accountable for the actions of their children. That would really make a positive and lasting change for the better in our society. How many parents would in arrested and in jail if they were held accountable for the criminal actions of their offspring?

  • “How many parents would in arrested and in jail if they were held accountable for the criminal actions of their offspring?”.. Sure senior Alejandro would be in jail for the actions of his offspring if that were true.

  • LT Villanueva isn’t the Reform, Rebuild, Restore candidate he made himself out to be?

    Shocking.

  • Too bad CBS didn’t bother looking at the news conference from August of last year, where the sheriff announced 4 terminations, 22 suspensions, and a host of transfers as a result of the Kennedy Hall incident. That included removing the failed station captain when he took office in 2018, eight weeks after Kennedy Hall, something McBuckles failed to do. They didn’t bother either mentioning the new policy concerning deputy cliques, something all previous sheriffs ignored or pretended couldn’t be done.

    I know it destroys you, but that’s Sheriff Villanueva, who is the Reform, Rebuild, and Restore sheriff we hoped he would be. Hatred blinds you to reality, but that’s your problem. Try not to let it consume you, if not for your own sake at least for your family.

  • Keep Dreaming

    “Too bad CBS didn’t bother looking at….”

    Deputy statements in the CBS story indicate all of that may have been an elaborate charade. In any event all of that will be getting another look from two separate investigations

    1. California State Attorney-General.
    2. Federal Grand Jury. The investigative entity for the Federal Grand Jury is the FBI, and we saw what happened the last time the FBI investigated the LASD: the then-Sheriff, the Undersheriff, the captain of the Criminal Internal Investigations Bureau, and a bunch of other LASD personnel–I forget how many–are now inmates in a Federal Prison.

  • Rakk, the only reason LT Villanueva took any action on the Kennedy Hall fight is because it occurred under McDonnell. It was an opportunity to make a corrupt LT seem like the politician he promised he’d be. Had it occurred on his watch, he would’ve covered it up like the Kobe pics, see new story about releasing deputy names publicly, and Dep Vega’s unauthorized Uber passenger.

    Ask yourself Rakk, how does one not initiate an IAB/ICB investigation after Vega’s t/c?

    https://ktla.com/news/local-news/skateboarder-alleges-he-was-abused-kidnapped-by-2-l-a-county-deputies-involved-in-guardado-shooting/

    “ Sheriff’s officials have also not explained why it took more than two months to open an investigation into the incident and nearly eight months before Vega and Hernandez were stripped of their badges.”

    What is LT Villanueva going to say, “I tried to cover it up.”

    Mr. “He Chose his Fate” keeps trying to convince those in the know that LT Villanueva is a good guy. We know better.

    It’s the voters that need to be convinced cause 2022 campaign is just around the corner and even staunch law enforcement supporters/voters see him as corrupt and regret voting for him.

  • Apparently you know little about the pace of investigations within the LASD. Thanks for sharing your ignorance.

  • Mr “He Chose his own Fate,”

    Apparently you know little about the initiation of IAB/ICB investigations within LASD. Thank you for sharing your ignorance.

  • Attention “Deputy Sheriff,” as if!

    You must be one of those guys who will fight ONLY if you are guaranteed to win.

    That’s mighty brave of you to be willing to throw partners under the bus who may have been inappropriately put on a Brady list.

    Do your homework.

    Although the law suit to stop the creation of the Brady list, by the department was lost, the court still opined that names should only be given on a case by case basis.

    The department, at the time , created a Brady list that was not entirely accurate and/or fare, and simply wanted to hand it to the DA’ s office with no regard for rights and irregardless of necessity.

  • It probably should be noted that Andres Dae Keun Kwon is a lawyer. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan; his law degree is from the University of California; and he currently is an attorney over at the ACLU.

  • For those inappropriately placed on the Brady List is why ALADS pay multimillion dollars to Attorneys to represent them.
    Unify with other LEO Unions to foot the big bill not just ALADS.

  • @Deputy Sheriff, great idea!

    Why don’t we have all the other POAs contribute EVERYTIME we spend money to represent OUR members.

    I wish I had thought of that!

  • You’re a Detective? (cough cough) and you couldn’t figure out the point made…, the WHOLE Brady Bill which applies to every LEO in this state, not just LASD

    I’m referring to the big case which lost in court, of course LASD constituents (Deputies) would be handled by ALADS Attorneys in individual matters.

    Dude! It’s March, time for you to enjoy retirement.

  • LT Villanueva has always played both sides throughout his career. Wanted to be a Bandido, badly, but wanted to maintain a “clean” image. Wanted to join the corrupt Baca admin but wanted to play the “truth to power” card.

    Nothing new. Joins the Recall Gascón effort but wants to align with Gascón to carry out political vendettas.

    https://laist.com/2021/03/05/sheriff-villanueva-raises-eyebrows-proposing-joint-corruption-task-force-with-da-gascon.php

  • @Deputy Sheriff. Lol.

    I have to laugh everytime one of you key board warriors calls me Detective, as it’s offensive.

    Retirement? I think I will!

    YOU scare me.

  • When the 2022 election comes up, the voters of LA County will also say: “No Thanks” to reelecting that formerly retired lieutenant who FAILED at playing Sheriff.

    Looking forward to electing a new, professional, intelligent, and highly qualified Sheriff for the LASD to repair and rebuild from the destruction that Allie & BiBi have left behind.

    Time to RESTORE the LASD to its former professional and respected greatness following the AV Clown Show Circus Act.

  • “Looking forward to electing a new, professional, intelligent, and highly qualified Sheriff for the LASD….”

    O.K.

    Who might that person be?

    Remember: 2022 is NEXT year; the election is coming up at break-neck speed!

  • Don’t forget: Senate Bill 271 is up for cogitation; if it passes it will remove Government Code requirements for Sheriff so that any Tom, Dick, and Harry can run for Sheriff irregardless of Law Enforcement background.

  • Let’s just say it’s a highly qualified and intelligent candidate that can runs circles around the current Clown in charge. This candidate checks almost all of the “boxes” required to win in L.A. County with the full support of the Dem party and the Supervisors. You can believe they will ensure Incompetent Alex gets his arse kicked right out of the HOJ in embarrassing fashion.

    Sweatpea better start packing her bags.

  • @Rakk,

    LT Villanueva claimed Gascón campaigned on a lie. So did LT Villanueva “Reform, Rebuild, Restore.”

    Primary campaign promise was to “physically remove ICE from jails.” ICE was removed from jails yet immigrants were handed off to a contractor in the courtyard and then released to ICE. Deceitful bait and switch.

    LT Villanueva will claim he abolished pay to play, cronyism, and the good Ol’ boys club. Tam’s campaign donations along with Mandoyan campaign donations prove pay to play is alive and well. That doesn’t include any undeclared cash handed to the campaign with a wink. Cronyism is any promotion due to the good graces of SGT 1st Lady, most prominent- Carrie Robles Placencia. The countless photos of Ms Robles Placencia and SGT 1st lady on personal time will be damning to any cronyism denials. That doesn’t include the assignment of a County take home car after a double fatal, at fault t/c. Side note: whispers around the 8th floor is news media is covertly shooting footage of Ms. Robles Placencia driving. Heard her parking job at Lomita station for Tiger Woods presser was so horrible that it almost caused numerous accidents. Across the street from the station, on a curve of a 2 lane road, with the drivers side rear obstructing traffic. Meanwhile, FD parked in a large vacant dirt lot with plenty of parking next to the station.

    Deputy “cliques, subgroups, or gangs.” LT Villanueva has flip flopped on this issue so much it’s embarrassing. During the 2018 campaign, “deputies gone rogue, they’re not gangs.” Then they became “cliques.” Then they don’t exist. Then it’s a video released on the dept website as though he’s talking to a child. “I don’t want you joining these whatever I decide they are as I shoot this video to placate the public as I wink and hide behind the 1st Amendment for the clique, subgroup, deputies gone rogue, station gang tattoos.”

    The only campaign promise LT Villanueva kept under “Reform, Rebuild, Restore” was the good Ol’ boys club. It has been rebuilt as the good Ol’ boys AND girls club. Ask any female Skipper.

    What will LT Villanueva campaign on? Can’t campaign on any campaign promises as they have all been broken. Kobe bill that he “sponsored?” He spoke in favor of, not sponsored. He will also mention that he changed dept policy as this wasn’t covered under existing policy. It was. If memory serves, the policy was enacted under Baca and was inclusive of any scene a deputy encounters, criminal or otherwise AND includes any phone, dept, personal, or another agency working the scene.

    Can’t proclaim crime is down on his watch as he was pre pandemic to assert he knew how to do the job of Sheriff and McDonnell didn’t. Not when he’s stating violent crime is up in an effort to smear Gascón.

    Wage task force? State labor board has investigators tasked with handling wage theft cases. A duplicate investigative unit paid for with money “De-funded” from the dept. Placating to the immigrant community to win back their vote. See “Physically remove ICE from jails.”’

    Public engagement? Town Halls and live social media sessions. Public largely saw thru the town halls as scripted and turnout was always low. Some town halls had less than 10 without protestors. The only town halls with adequate turn out was when protesters showed up. Live social media sessions? Those are usually 25 minutes of LT Villanueva whining and complaining how no one likes him and they are mean to him and 5 minutes of answering public questions. It’s rather sad when Mrs 1st SGT has to post up in his defense on social media live sessions.

    About the only thing left is “deputy morale is up and I authorized new uniforms.” This doesn’t move the needle much with the public in a time when LT Villanueva is proclaiming violent crime is up because of Gascón.

    So, to answer your question Rakk, anyone would be inherently better than LT Villanueva. A station explorer that is sharp and likely part of the speech and debate team in high school can campaign better than 1 term “sheriff” LT Villanueva. Because just scratching the surface with the above campaign strategy against LT Villanueva exposes him for the fraud that he is.

  • Tellingly Boorish, I didn’t think anyone could surpass the Clown car in all things bad but you pulled it off! You haven’t thought things through, blinded by your hatred of the sheriff. If you wish a candidate supported by the board and dems would unseat AV that would be a Gascon like sheriff. Let me know how that works out for you. Oh wait, you did think things through. You were high and mighty when McBuckles was in charge and destroying the department and AV gave you the boot. Bummer! Now you want anyone other than AV to be sheriff so you can be made whole, LOL. The fact they will destroy the LASD is of no concern to your ilk.

    By the way, if you want to fabricate crap about AV you should know Bandidos came around ELA long after he was gone. You can also ask Assemblyman Gipson about AB 2655, but then again facts are not your friend. That hatred you harbor will burn through your soul, get help.

  • Interesting how Ronnie-Boy keeps his silence & distance concerning his 1.5 million donation.

    Legacy wise, Ron will never be able to walk this back.

  • @Anonymous, “Ronnie-Boy” will be just fine!

    Deputies who actually do police work, rather than make anonymous comments on Witness LA, have been fine with the decision made based on the circumstances at that time.

    As far as my legacy, I’d rather be “Monday morning QBd” and known for decisions I participated in than to be a coward who criticizes while hiding and afraid to openly participate.

  • “In win for Vanessa Bryant, judge rules deputies who shared Kobe crash photos can be named”

    https://news.yahoo.com/win-vanessa-bryant-judge-rules-040410554.html

    Inept Alex and his Skippers fail once again. Their attempts to “Obstruct” and “Cover Up” will soon become public for all to see.

    Gee, I wonder how much this will cost the taxpayers?

    Alex, BiBi, The Skippers and Lil Ronald’s tab of professional reputation destruction and costly litigation expenditures continues to grow at a record pace.

    But I hear morale is at an all time high. Just ask Alejandro and Lil Ronald.

  • @AV Clown Show and Anonymous, do you two hold hands and cross your fingers when you post?

    “Ronnie-Boy and Lil Ronald?”

    I may have to make a therapist appointment.

    You’re giving me a complex!

  • For the plaintiff, maybe, but for the Judge making the ruling (paragraph #6, The Link):

    The Judge “found that allegations of Police Officer Misconduct should not be hidden from the public eye.”

    An important finding, and if the Judge’s ruling does get appealed that will be an important issue.

  • @AV Clown Show. Speaking of owning, why don’t you sign on with your real name and OWN your reputation?

  • @AV Clown Show, yes it is time to retire, just like you, but that is the extent of our similarities.

    You wil run and continue to hide, I plan to stay engaged and own any TRUE failures and embrace our success.

    In case you’re wondering where your opinion falls, I only listen to the opinion of those whom I respect! That ain’t you!

  • @AV Clown Show, because I know it bothers you that I keep showing up. Lol!

    I’m so deep in your head that you are reaching for something to try an offend me.

    Manitas? That was a nickname I had at Firestone. I laughed and embraced it.

    Your turn!

  • Good Old Mr. Predictable, lil Ronald ‘Señor Manitas’, comes back time after time yet, he will never own up to the mess and ineptness that he significantly helped saddle our once great LASD with, by his sanctioned $1.3 MILLION donation of ALADS dues paid funds.

    Señor Manitas will come on WLA comments over and over to “take on his perceived detractors” but will always DUCK his personal responsibility in the damage he has caused the LASD with his purchased #SheriffV & team of unqualified Skippers.

    One only has to look back at his posts back between Jan 24 – 30 in the below thread to see how Mr. Altadena-stone can duck and dodge with the best of the dodgers!

    https://witnessla.com/citing-allegations-of-misconduct-retaliation-and-excessive-force-ca-attorney-general-announces-civil-rights-investigation-into-lasd/

    So Ron, are you ready to own up to the errors of your failed investment yet? At least just a little?

  • @AV Clown Show, did you just use the word “good” when referencing me.

    Thank you I can retire in peace.

    For the record, for the one or two who actually hang their hat on your BS.

    Many times I have said I will not discuss the inner workings of ALADS, on this site and I’ve invited many to ask the same questions at a Rep or Board meeting.

    I will own the Sheriff’s election, if that’s what you’re looking for, but I don’t own or control him..

    We accomplished our goal.

    What we had was not working, so we took a proactive role in change.

    If you really had any influence, and if many deputies were unhappy with our/my decisions, I guess you would have been able to get me removed.

    I understand. I rained on your parade. Get over it!

  • ALADS President Ronald Hernandez response regarding his efforts to fund the winning election of the worse and most unqualified sheriff in the history of the great LASD:

    “I understand. I rained on your parade. Get over it!”

    Nice response regarding the destruction that Ron’s paid for Sheriff has done and continues to do to the people and reputation of our beloved LASD. Didn’t Hillary express something very similar when questioned about her role, failures and deflections with the tragedy in Benghazi?

    https://youtu.be/TW8Vq6xM-fw

  • @AV Clown
    Vroom Vroom….go get the GH, cause we all know you never did squat, except have parties at your house with McDipstick over

  • I can’t find a clip of it but if you hear Villanueva’s full speech from the recall rally, it’s probably the best he’s given since becoming sheriff. He did a masterful job beating back the argument about how “mass incarcerations” are racist by citing actual crime numbers and demonstrating how the people victimized by these shit birds are overwhelmingly ethnic minorities themselves. I’m no AV cheerleader and I take exception with some of his policies, but he’s dead on the mark with this Gascon matter. Give the guy credit for showing some balls and not carrying the water for the hard left political establishment.

  • Hey Ron, since this is Lent and you’re copping out to your failures and ownership, be advised of your most expensive slap in your face and in memberships pocket.

    Do you really need to be reminded of Superior
    Court Case BC540789? (Appellate Court Docket)

    Will you ever own that you started that entire scenario and not Floyd Hayhurst (ex ALADS President).

    This was not in a vacuum as you hope that memories are faded and don’t remember

    Since you’re outta here this month (yes, we all know), will you at least have the balls and tell them about your involvement more so, ALADS largest legal bill over your personal feelings.

    Typical cowardice to make a mess and leave to others for the cleanup.

    You’ll be remembered as the “Poster Boy” to public safety unions on “never pick a fight” without facts and your own fists.

    The members will question the tab that you’re leaving, only when it is exposed with no accountability.

  • @SHAD 49, go away Armando. NO ONE EVER ASKS ABOUT YOUR CASE, BECAUSE YOUR REPUTATION IS WELL KNOWN!

    Spin it how ever you want.

    I was absolutely involved in uncovering your BS. We are FORCED to spend money, because you won’t go away.

    We are not LA County who pays people to go away, thereby inspiring others to file a suit.

    This has nothing to do with personal feelings. I never gave you much thought, until you were in charge and it was obvious you would ruin ALADS. I know it’s hard to recall, but I wasn’t even on the Board when this case started, but yes, I/we will fight until you go away.

    You’re not going to get much sympathy for what you tried to pull, including intimidating one of the ALADS staff members, who was clearly scared of you.

    “Since you’re outta here this month (yes we all know).” Great investigative work! As if it was some secret you discovered!

    Dude, your killin’ me.

  • This article is about a public defender in DA’s clothing whose mission is to empty out prisons while the Taylor Walkers of the world embrace it to show everyone how woke they are. Gascon is a lecherous cancer who will chuck a match on a city doused in gasoline on his way out of town; yet you people want to hash out ALADS business on a left leaning, anti-cop website in response to an article completely unrelated to what you’re infighting about.

    Divide and conquer has never been more true and your poorly written comments are helping to perpetuate it. While you guys are measuring dicks and arguing about who’s a worse sheriff, your County DA is chomping at the bit to go after any one of us before ever seeking sentencing enhancements for violent third-strike gang members. Don’t believe me? Look no further than how he’s using his office to go after LAPD because one of their officers forwarded that George Floyd meme. While reprehensible and tasteless, there was nothing criminal about it. You people must realize by now that it has been open season on us all since last summer and the instrument to that end is at the seat of power within our own building.

    What next? An argument about shift seniority? We’re under assault but you’d rather blast a guy for being a station detective. Wake the F up.

  • Settle Down Eldon and realize that both Gascon and Villanueva are cancers for their respective agencies. LA County is doomed for now.

  • @Anonymous, you can use my full name. I’m not hiding from anyone.

    Looking forward to your positive impact to ALADS.

    Of course, your the person who talked a lot in briefing, but was never available to take the handle on the difficult calls.

    Good thing ALADS already has really good Board in place.

  • A preview of what was to come. This describes LT Villanueva to a T. Almost like those of us in the know, knew who he was before anyone else did. The whine fest occurs during every social media live session. Also notice how nothing is ever his or the depts fault under his “leadership.” LT Villanueva or his spokespersons have yet to say “it was my/our fault, I/we take responsibility.”

    By summer of 2021, LT Villanueva’s successor will have announced their candidacy.

    July 2017.

    “I know him and have worked with him, he is a self-serving whiner. When he is put to task, he always points the finger at others and never accepts responsibility for his actions.

    He works his way into looking good by doing favors for the brass and has in the past passed along information to them in order to improve his standing with the Department and his managers.

    When the rubber hits the road, his response is a grievance or threat of legal action, and lets it be known to others. The poor me syndrome.

    There has got to be a better choice. His experience on the Department is lacking and he is all about himself.“

  • “by summer of 2021, LT Villanueva’s successor will have announced their candidacy.”

    Their?

    That’s plural.

    Who might they–more than one–be?

  • I think “their” is gender-neutral speak for him/her. You’d have to be a Witness LA staffer to have caught that.

  • I never capitalized the “b” in the first word of the quote; nobody caught that–whew!!!

  • The demise and fall of LT Villanueva is far more enjoyable to watch than Baca, McDonnell. LT Villanueva is a fraud that only pretends to care about others so long as it benefits him.

    Only a fool would run for re-election after all the scandal he has single handedly created. That’s why LT Villanueva will run for re-election.

    https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vanessa-bryant-names-officers-photos-helicopter-crash-kobe-gianna-lawsuit-los-angeles-county-003646759.html

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