The first 3 people named to the new Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence are all highly regarded former judges: LOURDES BAIRD, CARLOS MORENO AND DICKRAN TEVRIZIAN
And boy do they ever have a challenging task ahead of them if they are to get anywhere even vaguely near to the bottom of the still expanding scandal involving abuse of LA County Jail inmates by Sheriff’s Deputies.
if you’ll remember, earlier this month, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to create an independent commission to investigate the jail abuse, and then to make recommendations as to how best to reform the jails and, as needed, the Sheriff’s Department.
Five of the seven new Commissioners were to be appointed by the Supervisors—with one appointee for each Supe. The remaining two Commission members will be chosen by the first five out of a pool of possibles provided by the Supervisors.
The names of those original five appointees were due to be handed over by November 1—today.
The first three are as follows:
LOURDES BAIRD
Halloween afternoon, Zev Yaroslavsky announced that he had appointed Former Judge Lourdes Baird. A former federal prosecutor, Baird has been a U.S. Attorney, and a Federal Judge in the state’s Central District, appointed by George H.W. Bush. In his statement about the selection for the jail violence commission, Yaroslavsky describes Baird as a “straight shooter.”
Born in Equador, interestingly, Baird came to the legal profession late. After being a stay-at-home mom for her three kids, Baird went back to school, got her undergraduate degree, then her law degree and started her legal career at age 41—then quickly became a rising star.
“Judge Baird is a person of impeccable integrity, wisdom and independence,” said Yaroslavsky.
DICKRAN TEVRIZIAN
Mike Antonovitch announced his pick of retired Judge Dickran Tevrizian even before the motion to create a commission was passed by the board. Like Baird, Tevrizian was a District Court Judge for California’s Central District (appointed by Ronald Reagan). Retired in 2007, Tevrizian has been repeatedly praised for his fairness and overall kindness, “13 or 14 on a scale of 10.”
“Through his unique experience and keen judgment, Judge Tevrizian has demonstrated his solid credibility and integrity as a jurist and a public servant,” said Antonovitch, who is also LA County’s mayor, in a prepared statement. “He will be a valuable asset to this commission.”
CARLOS MORENO
Gloria Molina announced her appointment of former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno on Tuesday. (However WitnessLA was able to get a copy of the announcement Monday night.)
Interestingly, according Molina’s office, Moreno came to the Supervisor and expressed interest in being on the commission before she put out feelers to him.
“When he let us know he was interested, the Supervisor was thrilled,” said Molina spokesperson Roxane Marquez.
Understandably so. A longtime civil rights champion who is reportedly revered on the right and the left, Moreno was even considered a long-shot candidate to replace former US Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
In other words, we already have a very smart, very well-respected, very honorable group.
The question is how skilled these excellent public servants will be at getting past the obfuscation, rewriting of facts, and other road blocks that some in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department command staff will inevitably throw in the path of any serious investigation.
As WitnessLA has previously reported (and will soon be further reporting) there are those still in command at the LASD who either looked determinedly the other way when reports of abuse came to their attention or, worse, actively prevented—and in some cases undid—reform, and declined to hold deputies accountable, except in the most undeniable of cases.
We hope, therefore, that the new commissioners, when choosing their staff, will look for people with some serious experience in jails and the business of custody—and no personal stake in the LASD.
To be blunt: No matter how talented and well-intentioned, if this new Commission is to be any more than attractive window dressing, they’re going to need all the help they can get.
AND IN OTHER NEWS, SCOTUS DECIDES THAT IN THE CASE OF A CALIFORNIA “SHAKEN BABY” CASE, THE JURY’S VERDICT, EVEN IF SHOWN TO BE WRONG BASED ON NEW SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, MUST PREVAIL.
The Supremes essentially bitch-slapped the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned the conviction of Shirley Ree Smith, who has served 10 years in prison for killing her grandson, although based on what we know now, experts have concluded that Smith didn’t kill the baby at all.
However, this ruling wasn’t about Smith’s guilt or innocence but about whether the jury’s verdict must be respected—despite the question of guilt or innocence. In a split decision, SCOTUS decided that, yes, respecting the jury’s decision trumped all.
Doug Berman’s Sentencing Law and Policy has a rundown on the ruling. But for a heartbreaking overview of the case, read last year’s LA Times article by Carol J. Williams.
NOVELIST MONA SIMPSON’S EULOGY FOR HER BROTHER, STEVE JOBS
Hopefully most of you have by now read Mona Simpson’s eulogy for her brother, which appeared on Sunday in the NY Times. But just in case…..
As you likely know, Jobs, who is adopted, found his birth mother who then told him he had a half sister, who turned out to be LA novelist, Simpson. When they met, Simpson was in her 20’s, Jobs around 30. For the rest of their lives—his life—they meant the world to each other. Whatever you feel about Steve Jobs, this gorgeous, heart-tearing essay-–a sister’s lament and love song— is something you should not dream of missing. (I don’t however, recommend reading it in a public setting.)