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Former LA County Sheriff Lee Baca Reportedly Suffering From Alzheimer’s, Could Affect Sentencing


IS FORMER SHERIFF LEE BACA SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?

According to sources who have met recently with former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, the former sheriff said he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease, along with Parkinson’s,** and believes his condition may persuade U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson not to give him any prison time when Anderson sentences Baca in July.

Baca’s sentencing hearing, which was originally scheduled for May, has been delayed twice at the request of the prosecution, and is now scheduled for July 11 at 8:30 a.m. in Judge Anderson’s courtroom.

If you’ll remember, in February of this year, Baca signed a plea deal with federal prosecutors in which he formally pleaded guilty to one felony count of lying to federal authorities when they questioned him in the course of a wide-ranging investigation into “corruption and civil rights violations” in the department he’d led for fifteen years.

Specifically, Baca admitted to Judge Anderson that he lied to the FBI and members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office during a round of questioning three years earlier on April 12, 2013. At that time, among other denials by Baca, the former sheriff falsely claimed ignorance of the fact that, in 2011, two LASD sergeants were going to approach FBI special agent, Leah Marx, and threaten her with arrest, hoping to get information about the feds’ rapidly expanding investigation into brutality by deputies in the county’s large jail system.

In fact, Baca has now admitted, he gave instructions that the officers “should do everything but put handcuffs on her.” Her being Agent Marx.

Baca’s attorneys sought the plea agreement with the feds in lieu their client facing a federal indictment for his alleged part in obstructing the government’s probe into LASD wrongdoing.

But although the former sheriff pleaded guilty in February, the plea will not be finalized until Baca’s July sentencing. The terms of the plea deal specify that Baca’s sentence will fall between 0 to 6 months in a federal prison.

Yet, as Judge Anderson informed Baca and his attorney, Michael Zweiback, during the February plea hearing, the court “is not bound by advisory guidelines,” but is able to impose a sentence that “could be greater or lessor than the guideline range,” up to a maximum of five years in prison, plus three years of post-prison oversight, and a cash fine of up to $250,000.

But if Anderson was to go above the 0 to 6 guidelines, then the plea deal would become null and void—unless Baca and his attorney elected to take the higher sentence rather than go to trial.

Still, there has been much speculation about the possibility that Anderson could to go above the guidelines in order to give Baca a sentence that can be measured in years, not months.

But now there is the new—but not officially confirmed—-talk about Baca’s possible condition.

Baca’s sentencing date has been postponed twice, and both times the postponement was requested by the prosecution.

In the most recent written request for a delay, prosecutors referred to “issues raised” in the “Pre-Sentence Investigation Report” that has been submitted by probation.

Here’s how that works: After Baca submitted his plea, representatives from federal probation met with Baca and company, then submitted a report recommending a sentence within the federal guidelines—specifically that 0 to 6 months we mentioned earlier–-for the crime to which he has pleaded. Then once in receipt of the probation report, the prosecution must make its own recommendation that could be higher or lower than whatever probation suggested, but that—–according to the terms of the plea deal—–must remain within the 0-6 month parameter.

It seems, however, that there are some unnamed “issues” raised by the probation report that the government feels it needs more time to address:

The government has identified, retained and consulted with an expert witness regarding the issues raised in paragraph 65. This expert witness then asked for additional material from defendant in order to fully assess the issue.

Defendant provided most of this material to the government late last week, which the government forwarded on to its expert witness today. Defendant, however, is awaiting additional results sought by the government’s expert witness. Defendant expects to receive these results in the next week. Once the government receives the additional material, it will need time to consult with its expert witness on the issue and determine the extent to which it affects the government’s [sentencing] recommendation, if at all.

The probation report, including the mysterious “paragraph 65” and the issues to which it refers are under seal.

So do the “issues” causing the delay relate to Baca’s reported medical condition?

We asked Assistant U.S. Attoney Brandon Fox about the matter and he declined to comment.


TANAKA SENTENCING

The sentencing date for former undersheriff Paul Tanaka has also been delayed, and Tanaka will now be sentenced on June 27 at 8:30 a.m. For Tanaka too it will be Judge Anderson will be doing the sentencing. Tanaka faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

To remind you, the former undersheriff was convicted of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice pertaining to allegations that he directed and oversaw deliberate efforts to disrupt an FBI investigation into a culture of brutality and corruption inside the LA County jails, which began in 2010.

Seven other former department members have been convicted of charges of obstruction of justice for actions stemming from orders issued by Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Baca.

Judge Anderson, who will be sentencing both Lee Baca and Paul Tanaka, presided over the trials of the seven and handed down their sentences, which ranged from 18 months to 41 months

So, in view of the sentences Anderson has already ordered for department underlings, will he be willing to sentence the former top guy, Lee Baca, to no prison time at all? Or will he venture outside the guidelines to give Baca a more substantial prison sentence, despite the former sheriff’s reported medical issues.

Unless there are more delays, we will learn the answer to that question on July 11.

And in between the sentencing of Tanaka and Baca, the cases of the convicted seven will be heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on July 5.


**CORRECTION: Although sources tell us former sheriff Baca has Parkinson’s, for a variety of reasons, we have become less sure about the reliability of this second reported diagnosis, hence the cut. We will keep you up to date as we learn more.

33 Comments

  • Most agree that Baca is truly insane and has been for a long time. Sadly, I believe this to be true. But, if he does have Alzheimer’s, how long has he had the disease? Is it possible that Waldie and Stonich knew about this incapacitating disease and hid it from the Department and public for their own ambition? Note, that Stonich and Waldie have been the closest friends for decades. If Baca has had the disease from before this case then shouldn’t the judge consider this fact in sentencing? However, Baca’s timing is suspect but can one fake Alzheimer’s? Should ALADS and PPOA file a FOIA to find out if Baca made decisions while suffering from Alzheimer’s? I think it would be difficult to determine any real difference in behavior from the young Baca to the Baca of today? I’m not trying to be facetious.

    Now, wouldn’t this be a twist if Baca had Alzheimer’s when he gave the order to hide the inmate? If so, does this relieve Tanaka in his obedience to the order and the crime?

    In other words; are you responsible for carrying out orders from a mentally incapable person (who you thought was sane) for the crimes committed by the adherence to those orders? Should we ask Hitler?

    We’ll see

  • I feel sorry for his mind. Lock him up now, so he can have an eye kept on him and proper medical treatment. Make Tanaka his bedpan changer. They should do well together.

  • If anyone came in contact with Baca over the years you could tell things were not right with him. Lets not fool yourselves, Tanaka (Little man complex) single handedly ruin the Dept. That and all his promoted crones, messed it up. Now the Dept. suffers for it.

    When a Capt. of Custody tells his immedeate boss he does answer to him, but to Tanka. Everyone knows that person should have never been promoted to Capt. That, as well as others who kissed up to him he promoted. Thank god I don’t smoke cigars.

    Can you imagine what the Dept. would be like if the proper person was promoted to position instead Tanka’s lackey’s. There were some who got the job, who did well and deserved it, but most should never have been promoted.

    Yes, Baca was at fault and I’m sure his health problems didn’t help his decision making. Tanaka’s proof. Tanaka was running this Dept., he mess it up, he made the decisions and brought people into to it. The were dumb to follow his orders and they got what they deserve.

  • Didn’t some Mafia BOSS of the past start walking around the neighborhood in house slippers and a robe, drooling….. While all along continuing to run his corrupt organization behind closed doors… ordering all the same criminal acts he always had….

    Lock him up, send him to pill call, and I agree, make lil Tee take care of him like they were on Fantasy Island… Lil T can run around a day long yelling, “Boss, de plane!…. it’s bring your meds Boss.”

    Plus, he’s not sick. He’s just thinking OUTSIDE the BOX, SEEING more then can be SEEN, like ALWAYS.

  • I’m not buying the Alzheimer’s, too convenient this late in the game. Even if he had the onset of the disease, his actions and responses clearly showed he understood what he was doing and who he was at all times. If he started drooling and fell asleep at EPC, or got lost at HQ is one thing, but that was never the case. He even bragged about how healthy he was, and he was going to live to be 100. Seven mile run anyone?

  • I’m definitely buying it. I last saw him in mid-2013. He was a bent over, befuddled, sickly old man. I’m not suggesting this mitigates his culpability or should have any affect on his sentencing. Just stating a fact.

  • Alzheimers huh? Well while at booking front of the Federal Pen, whisper in Baca’s ear that he is checking in to The Four Seasons Hotel for R&R and he’ll skip around the place for 6 months as if he was on another international getaway the County’s dime!

  • Santa’s helpers have discovered in a routine audit of the FBI’s Data Network, this recent conversation Sheriff McDonnell had with his top executives in his office at the Hall of Justice.

    Sheriff McDonnell: Neal asked me to call this meeting because the “project” he and Karen have been working on has uncovered something of a highly significant, and sensitive nature.

    Assistant Sheriff Rogers: What project is that sir?

    McDonnell: Neal, why don’t you explain.

    Undersheriff Tyler: Sheriff, I’ll let Karen explain the project then Commander Kusch will explain the particulars.

    Chief Mannis: Yes sir. As most of you know there has been an individual posting messages of a blog site called “WitnessLA” who calls himself “There’s no Santa?”. Undersheriff Tyler and I have been given the task by the Sheriff of identifying who this person is, if he – we’ve determined that “Santa” is a male – if he actually has gained accessed to classified information in the executive offices, and, most importantly, to determine if this person is a threat to the integrity to our organization or its employees. Mr. Tyler and I have assigned ICIB and Major Crimes to investigate the case. To this point, Major Crimes has taken the lead role in the investigation as, thus far, there is no evidence that there is any internal criminal aspect to this case. Therefore, Commander Kusch, who I’ve asked to attend this meeting, has taken the lead role and will take it from here.

    Commander Kusch: Thank you mam…er, Chief. As you are probably aware, this individual claims to have access to the FBI Data Network, which he also claims is accessing microphones which the FBI embedded in to the structure during the refurbishing of the Sheriff’s executive offices here at the Hall during Sheriff Baca’s administration.

    Rogers: Have you found any bugs?

    Kusch: Well sir, we were afraid to use our Tech Crew to check for mics. So the answer’s no…

    Assistant Sheriff Harrington: Why would you be AFRAID to use your OWN crew?

    Kusch: Well…uh….

    Mannis: Well sir, during one of the Federal trials it came out that some of the Tech Crew was GIVING information to the FBI.

    Harrington: Giving information TO the FBI?

    Mannis: Well, it seemed that they did not think some things being done within the Department were exactly….ah…..er….

    Assistant Sheriff Barrantes: Go ahead and say it Karen! They didn’t think things being done here were being done LEGALLY and so they went to the FBI!

    long silence

    Barrantes: Welcome to the LASD, Kelly.

    nervous laughter

    McDonnell: That’s not funny Richard! So, we don’t KNOW if these offices are in fact bugged. Is that right, Commander?

    Kusch: Er…Yes sir. I mean No sir, I mean….

    Tyler: Sir, we don’t know if there are microphones in the building or not.

    McDonnell: Can’t we get someone in here to check that out?

    Tyler: Who do we ask? It might be a little embarrassing to go around to other agencies asking them to search OUR offices for FBI microphones.

    McDonnell: Eh, I see your point.

    (Santa: Maybe Burbank would do it!)

    Tyler: So Sir, at this point we don’t know for sure if Santa is listening. Being on the safe side, let’s assume for argument sake there is something there and let’s move on. That would only be one element to determining IF this Santa character has access to our conversations. The second is the link to the FBI Data Network.

    McDonnell: Commander Kusch, can we determine IF this Santa character can access the FBI Data Network – assuming that there ARE microphones around here?

    Kusch: Sir, we went to Chief Edson with that and they looked at it. He advised me they were unable to determine if that was possible – unless they tried to hack in to the FBI Data Network themselves. When I told him about this meeting he wanted me to pass along that he had a couple of people he thought could get in and get out………..

    Barrantes: I can hardly wait for THAT trial!

    laughter

    Tyler: We’ll take a pass on THAT idea! Ok! We can’t determine if this Santa person OR PERSONS has direct access to our conversations. I say person OR PERSONS. That brings us to the real reason for today’s meeting. Commander, you discovered something during your investigation that puts this entire situation in to an entire different light and turns this whole thing in to something that may have national implications. I have not mentioned to anyone until now because I wanted Commander Kurch to tell all what he’s discovered. Go ahead, Commander.

    Kusch: Thank you, sir. Ah..many of you may have seen or heard of posters which have been going up around the Department depicting our badge or our patch and show…ah…., excuse me Sheriff, “Smokey The…ah..Bear” in the middle instead of……ah…our….ah..”regular” bear. On the top there is the heading of..ah…”Save OUR Bear”. This is it the poster for those who have not seen it: Heart Shaped, red. I’ll pass it around.

    long silence – sound of shuffling

    Kusch: Ok, you probably did not notice down at the bottom of the poster, at the point of the heart, there is a little logo. I’ll put it up on the overhead because it hard to see.

    sound of machine running

    Kusch: Ok, right here. There is a little “swosh” – like the Nike “swosh” – and the letters NPPS printed inside the “swosh”. Very small. We were unfamiliar with that logo and those initials so we ran those letters by Criminal Intelligence Bureau. They likewise were stumped so they did a data search through their intelligence contacts at the National Counterterrorism Center in Washington and got a hit on the letters “NPPS”.

    Mannis: I told you Neal! This is bigger than one guy!

    Tyler: Go ahead Commander.

    Kusch: Yes sir! “NPPS” stands for Nationalist People’s Populist Society. It is a right-wing, white-supremacist organization based in Macon Georgia. They have various chapters around the US – but, until this time, were unknown to exist in Southern California.

    Rogers: Well, it sounds like they ARE alive and well in LA County!

    Kusch: Yes sir! The “swosh” logo is something new to the organization and CIB now has it registered with NCTC as the organization’s new logo. We are getting credit as being the first law enforcement agency in the country to identify the new logo and their expansion out west!

    McDonnell: Along with the first to identify them operating in LA County – ahead of the LAPD! Wait until I rub that one in Charlie’s face!!!!! Just a minute.

    long silence

    McDonnell: I apologize, I know I have rule about cell phones during these meetings, but I had to take a minute to text Charlie about this. We text each other trying to get under the other’s skin and he’s had a pretty good time of it lately, what with the trials and this Santa thing.

    Tyler: SANTA? He KNOWS about SANTA?

    McDonnell: Oh yeah! Someone on his staff brought it to his attention and he shoots me a text every time Santa posts. Loves the fact that Neal thinks I think the bear on your…our badge is “Smokey The Bear”….

    Tyler: I DIDN’T say that boss!

    McDonnell: I know Neal, but Charlie likes to pretend that you did and better yet, he likes to pretend that I REALLY think the bear IS “Smokey The Bear”.

    nervous laughter

    McDonnell: Well anyway, NOW I’ve got one up on him. Not only is this Santa thing real, we’ve uncovered the fact that it is a national extremist organization and we’ve notified the National Counterterriorist folks that we are right on top of it! A job well done, Kusch!!

    Kusch: Thank you sir.

    Rogers: Sir, they are probably trying to infiltrate our Department on the heals of all the bad press coverage we got in Tanaka and Baca trials.

    Mannis: That’s right sir! They must think we are ripe for the taking – we’ve been depicted as being an organization out of control and full of the worst type of ……

    Rogers: It makes perfect sense, we’re the largest sheriff’s department in the country and to infiltrate our department would allow them to expend their power base! I suppose their goal would be to recruit our people to……

    Assistant Sheriff LaBerge: Can I see that poster again?

    Kusch: Yes sir. That logo is right there at the bottom.

    Mannis: Ah….Undersheriff Tyler and I discussed the fact that we felt that this entire “SANTA” was much bigger than just one person having fun poking fun at the top brass. We KNEW this HAD to be something that was much bigger and was trying, for some reason, to disrupt our Department. This NPPS organization seems to fit right in with what we surmised.

    Rogers: I think they are trying to…..

    LaBerge: Sheriff, would you mind placing the conversation on hold while I go and check on something?

    Rogers: I think they are trying to..

    LaBerge: Sheriff, would you mind putting a hold on this conversation while I go and check on something? It’s about this I have something I’d like to explore.

    McDonnell: Go ahead Jacques, we can hold on for a few minutes.

    LaBerge: Thanks, I’ll be right back.

    Rogers: Sheriff, did you see the latest with Sheriff Baca?

    McDonnell: The Alzheimer’s stuff?

    Rogers: Yes sir. What do you think?

    McDonnell: Think? I remember sitting in meetings with him when I was at LAPD and later at Long Beach. He would start talking and after awhile everyone in the room could diagnose Alzheimer’s and several other mental illnesses. It didn’t take a shrink to figure that out!

    Rogers: So, do you think he’s really got Alzheimer’s?

    McDonnell: Well, I’m no shrink…

    Barrantes: Moon Walking!

    McDonnell: What’s that?

    Barrantes: Moon Walking. He’s “Moon Walking” the system. Haven’t you ever seen that far-away look in his eyes. Hell he LOOKS crazy half the time just stares off in space. Then he starts talking and comes up with one of his weird diatribes about the meaning of graphite in a pencil or something. I called it “Moon Walking”. Now he’s showing that “skill” to his lawyer’s shrinks in order to avoid going to the slammer. He can do that all day long. Crazy? We all knew he was crazy, but now he’s crazy like a fox. I won’t be convinced that it’s real until I hear of a confused Baca showing up on Tanaka’s doorstep asking for sushi.

    laughter

    sound of door opening

    McDonnell: Did you get what you need Jacques?

    LaBerge: Yes sir.

    McDonnell: Good, I’m glad to change the subject and get back to the issue of the “NPPS” and the threat they may pose to our Department. What do you have?

    LaBerge: Sir, first,can I ask if you got a response back to your text to Chief Beck.

    McDonnell: Yeah, he didn’t have much of a retort, just his usual.

    Tyler: What’s that?

    McDonnell: Well, since the thing with Tom hit the news, he keeps sending me texts asking me if I’ve got any good jokes.

    nervous laughter

    LaBerge: Ah well….OK. Commander Kusch?

    Kusch: Yes sir!

    La Berge: You say this “NPPS” and “swosh” logo belong to this right-wing organization?

    Kusch: Yes sir!

    LaBerge: And they have never been known to be in Southern California?

    Kusch: Yes sir.

    LaBerge: And the “swosh” logo is not known to be associated with this “NPPS” organization?

    Kusch: ah…yes…sir

    LaBerge: Then I would say there’s a good reason that none of this has been previously known!

    Kusch: Sir?

    LaBerge: Would you believe I just did a little Google work in the outer office and came up with this: The “swosh” you “discovered” is actually a sleigh and does NOT represent the “National People’s Populist Society”. The sleigh is part of a logo belonging to a company that has the same initials – “NPPS” – which actually stands for………”North Pole Print Shoppe”……..

  • I think that Baca has been on meds for a very long time, for what I don’t know. However, I worked around him when he was a commander and his behavior at times was rather odd. He could be extremely quiet, almost non-communicative and seemingly depressed. If I knew that something was wrong, how could not those others, Tanaka, Stonich and Waldie not know? Of course they knew and took advantage of it. The rumor was that he was suffering from mental illness, many thought that, perhaps it was alzheimers.

  • You can’t make this shit up. Now, when it’s convenient for him, even Leroy Baca himself is trying to use the defense that he’s nuts.
    After all those articles in the LA Times about how “visionary” he was. After the editor of this very blog was a cheerleader for him because he was so “progressive”. After the LA media gave him a pass for 14 years, he’s made you ALL look like fools.
    He told you what you wanted to hear and you lapped it up like starving puppy dogs. All the while he was given a pass for his corruption, incompetence, absenteeism, delusional ramblings and idiotic policies.
    The joke is on ALL of you. Even the obviously mentally unstable Baca was able to play you like a cheap fiddle. You couldn’t wait to dance to his tune.
    And now, after all those years of being duped, there are people who want to give you accolades for FINALLY realizing what was going on. Really? They must be grading on the curve.
    I expected you to be more aware, observant, insightful and objective in your reporting for those first 14 years. I didn’t expect you to let your ideology trump your journalistic integrity.
    Oh Well, I guess the joke is really, after all, ON ME!

  • Can anyone confirm the rumor that McD wants to spend over a million dollars to replace the lasd star on all the units. Apparently he feels the star is too small.

  • @ Frank C……..You’re killing me!

    When has “Folklore” Ron Hernandez NOT have an opinion on everything.

  • #13…. And the “O” in of is grammatically incorrect. Needs to be changed, I guess, because we’re a department of priorities. You’ll be glad to know your money figure doesn’t include labor or repainting if taking off the existing sticker peels the paint.

  • Does Baca suffer from a mental condition? Absolutely. Is it Alzheimers? Not really sold on that diagnosis. If it is indeed Alzheimers, then when did it set in? How many years ago?

    Because, Baca has displayed bizarre behavioral issues since well before he ran for sheriff in 1998. In fact, many have observed first-hand, his “off the wall” statements and actions that shocked many LASD personnel when Baca visited “his” facilities. Watching him obsess over the smallest detail in a piece of furniture, to the complete disregard of all the smiling, bright and enthusiastic employees who were obviously honored that they were in his presence, and about to meet him. But even with gentle prodding by supervisors, to have him refocus onto his gathered subordinate personnel, who by that time had lost their enthusiastic smiles and instead bore confused incredulous expressions, Baca would not change his focus from the minutia which had seemingly captivated him. This was how he “operated”. Yes, he did very well on the highly scripted occasions, but left to his own devices, he would stumble off into non-sensical ramblings that would cause anyone around him to step away from him slowly, not knowing what was going to happen next. Perhaps he used his “hapless”, non-threatening demeanor as a defense mechanism, to deflect any serious questions or anything else that he wanted to deflect. It seems to have been a successful tool in his repertoire, and it seemingly has worked for him for more than fifteen years.

    But, make no mistake, Baca was in full control when it came to retaliating against employees whom he perceived to have committed some slight (real OR imagined) against him.

    The gloves came off, and “it was on”!

    He never hesitated to use the entirety of the resources of the LASD, its personnel. its logistical equipment and even its’ off-duty deputies, to its’ fullest extent when it came to destroying an employee, their career and anything else that he could. He didn’t invent the “mechanism of retaliation”, but he surely honed it as time went by. And he fostered it openly.

    The “retaliation machine”, of Baca, can be boiled down to a basic three step process:

    Step One – “Freeway Therapy” – Transfer the employee to a far away “dumping ground” type of assignment so that the level of responsibility and public interaction would be so markedly different that when the targeted employee spent the more than 2 or 3 hours every day, commuting to an assignment that was meant for newly promoted employees, it would be a constant daily and stinging reminder of the targeted employees “transgression”.

    Step Two – “Isolation” – Make the targeted employee “untouchable” – by telling all executives that the targeted employee was not to be given the time of day (i.e. not respond to phone calls, emails or messages) from that employee and further that they were not to be allowed to interview for any other job, while the targeted employee was in a Baca imposed “time out”. The object here was to completely isolate the targeted employee from all other department personnel. Even people who were formerly identified as “friends” of the targeted employee, were fair game if they were seen talking to or supporting the target. Sadly nearly all of the former so-called “friends” opted to “go away”, in a ridiculously short amount of time, to “save” their own hides.

    Step Three – “False Internal Affairs Investigations” – This is the most overused step – the initiation of one or more of “false” Internal Affairs investigation(s) – and the subsequent “findings” of guilt, with the resultant outrageously harsh discipline (often including termination). This is the favorite “weapon” of choice by the corrupt LASD executives, because to destroy a truth-telling employee, they didn’t actually need a policy violation because they could just make one up and then over the course of that so-called “investigation”, they would have complete control over how the investigation is handled and the resultant “outcome”. A “railroaded” affair to be sure, time after time.

    Baca was well aware that these steps were repeatedly being used against truthful LASD employees. Does he regret this? Only he can answer that.

    But, the last time he dealt with the retaliation issue, he led me to believe that he regrets it all – now.

  • Storm: Step #3 could not of been completed without the complicity of unethical and unscrupulous IAB Captains. My favorite who is now a Chief. How this Department can promote incompetent leaders with a straight face is beyond me. Who says the Department doesn’t have
    a sense of humor.

  • @Cats Eye: he should’ve used the delusional excuse, because after reading that article, he truly is!

  • Where was this courage when he asked to testify on behalf of those folks he directed to do his dirty work?

    LEROY BACA YOUR RECORD IS COWARDICE AND LIES.

    You are scared of how you will be remembered.

  • Jack,
    Re: your #21——-EXACTLY!!!!
    He’s a cowardly sonofabitch. So in the article provided he’s does what a lot of cowardly sonofabitches do. He talks shit. If he wasn’t afraid of doing time, why did he take the deal? Why would he not take it to trial? That’s what crooks who aren’t afraid of prison time do.
    He is pulling the same bullshit the old mafia bosses used to when it came time for them to pay the piper. I hope the delays are because Anderson doesn’t want to adhere to the plea agreement suggested by the probation dept. and wants to give the prosecution time to get their own experts re: Baca’s mental health. I hope he throws the book at the man who is truly responsible for the dismantling of the greatest LE agency in the world. Never forget, Baca made it possible for Tanaka. Baca was the one who kept promoting him!

  • With his disease does that mean he has forgotten about all the deputies he screwed over, the department he destroyed, and the idiots he promoted? Please don’t buy into this crap. He’s a coward trying to avoid prison, the same way he sold his soul to the Feds when he stepped down from office to protect his own ass and sell out his subordinates. The biggest coward in the history of LASD. Seriously. LATBG- I too remember him pitching the live to 100 pills and it wasn’t that long ago. Not buying it. “Pill Call: followed by “Watch the Gates.!”

  • @Bandwagon – You are correct – and that certain Chief that you didn’t mention, is good for many of those employee destroying “investigations”. There are so many complicit executives – who all knew what was taking place, and who all chose to remain silent so that they could personally benefit. Cowards all!

    @Cats Eye – Great article – clearly he is still coherent, well – as coherent as he has ever been. I think if anyone can see through his faux “dementia” ruse, it would be Judge Anderson.

    Over the past few years, I would think that Baca’s stating that he would plead the 5th if asked to testify for his personnel – should be examined. He obviously knows he is guilty of many things.

  • M Freeman,,,recently the size of the door stars were increased by 1″, he also requested the ugly gold stripes be removed/omitted from the units.

  • Ex-L.A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca hopes to limit the length of his upcoming prison sentence, thats only normal.

    However, there is an even more immedeate and compelling component to Baca’s current equation – he is trying to stay alive.

    Roll back a few months to the public announcement of Baca’s deal for a one count guilty plea – thats when Baca went on camera to play the sympathy card.

    Baca stuttered and stammered outside the courthouse as news reporters lobbed in their questions to the newly confessed liar and criminal.
    Baca shook as he tried to hold back the wave of tears, then suddenly bolted in order to spare the public from the pitiful sight of the once-feared Sheriff Humpty-Dumpty crumbling into a million pieces before our eyes.
    As the situation stands today, Baca severely over played that sympathy card and apparently he has got himself tangled in a serious squeeze.

    Its gone far past the point when Judge Anderson could have delivered a 6 month prison sentence in exchange for Baca’s one count guilty plea.
    A 6 month sentence would convey a message completely antagonistic to the value system represented by the previous recent sentencing of LASD personnel.
    It would undermine public confidence and respect for the institution of the Federal Prosecutor and the Federal Courts.
    Judge Anderson could never live down the stain to his reputation.

    Nothing less than a solid minimum 2 1/2 years in the pen is needed for the sentence to pass muster.

    The sudden onset of Alzheimers disease indicate Lee Baca and his advisors are very concerned to keep him a step ahead of contracting an even more debilitating and incurable medical condition – commonly referred to as Jimmy Hoffa Syndrome.

    Looking at Lee Baca’s career resume and reading between the lines shows he was privy to a wide swath of confidential information, some contained in closed official files and some locked away in the memory of the primary witnesses and participants.
    Much of that information remains highly sensitive to individual reputations, careers and livelyhoods.

    Whatever one thinks of Ex-Sheriff Baca’s motivations and managerial style – he knows how to hand out the favors, how to blackball the pariahs and how to keep a tight lid on the secrets.
    Baca can match anyone in the contest of nailing a rug to the floorboards with a mound of dirt bulging from the center.

    Now the old Sheriff needs to man up and put in some prison time.
    Except that would contradict the current perception of Baca which he allowed to develop and take hold – that he is a big crybaby without an ounce of fortitude for even one lonely night sleepng on a cold hard steel cot.

    If Baca would have copped his plea and asked Judge Anderson to come down hard and give him the full 5 years he deserves, then things would be different.

    There are too many people whose names we don’t know and whose names we can guess who won’t feel comfortable with Humpty-Dumpty locked up in the canary cage.

    Alzheimers is an admission that stock in Ex-Sheriff Baca has fallen over to the wrong side of the value equation Dead vs. Alive.

  • It is my understanding that a respectable and credible citizen recently had dinner with Baca. Baca proclaimed that he was “not going to prison” because he had a number of high roller types writing letters to Judge Anderson on Baca’s behalf. I am told Baca was quite smug about his prediction. So much, the fine citizen wrote a letter directly to Judge Anderson with specific detail. All this was before the, I got Alzheimer’s, proclamation. BTW, he feigned “I’m old and frail” routine, as depicted in the WLA picture on this story, is quite different from the picture and story receiving an award from a Jewish organization. I think the link is floating around somewhere, but Baca was talking big smack about not fearing prison. I sure hope Judge Anderson is dialed in and calls Baca’s bluff by saying, “6 months? No deal. My deal is 3 years, period. Don’t like that, let’s start selecting a jury next week and start from there. I’m stepping down to take a wiz. When I come back, you best have an answer or I’ll make it for you; you’re going to trial.”

    I’ve read this info elsewhere, so it’s not new. Let’s see how it pans out.

  • As a former LAPD cop and having no interest in the inner workings of the LASD, I have to wonder how long this charade will continue? Baca seemed strange 20 years ago yet he continued to be re-elected to the post. Someone inside was propping him up and working him like a puppet. Tanaka? Another LASD squirrel.

    I’m far fro saying LAPD hasn’t ad its share of bad apples – Willie Willias and Christopher Dorner come to mind – but we’ve not had command staff on the way to prison for a long time.

    Good luck with this, folks. Looks like you’ll need it.

  • Not long after Baca was elected I attended a Sheriff’s Day luncheon. The keynote speaker was Tommy Lasorda from the LA Dodgers. True to form Tommy gave an inspiring speech. Baca spoke next. For about 15 minutes he held my attention and that of everyone else in the room. He was relating a very interesting story, and quite frankly, I was very interested in what he was saying. Then, all of a sudden, he started talking about something else and totally abandoned the original story. I looked at some folks I went to the lunch with and one of them asked me: “what just happened?” Additionally, I recall a speech where Baca was addressing citizens of East Los Angeles. In this talk he was making promises that would have bankrupt the Department. After this speech, top executives blocked his movement down a hallway into a private room. I was not privy to this conversation but later I was told they were pleading with him not to make promises without establishing a basis for accomplishing those promises….I do believe Baca, based on numerous contacts with him, was fantasizing about how wonderful it would be if he could have his way.

  • “There’s no Santa?” That is the best thing I have read in a long time!! Well done.

  • I say give Baca a longer sentence.
    With his Alzheimer disease he won’t even know how long or where he locked up.

  • CHECK OUT ON TWITTER: BatWomanBree & ALL links, including Facebook BRENDA LOVE

    It’s time for BATWOMAN to SAVE THE CITY…RIP STEVE OWEN!!!

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