LASD

The Trial of Former LASD Undersheriff Paul Tanaka to Begin on Wednesday


WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FED TRIAL OF FORMER LA COUNTY UNDERSHERIFF PAUL TANAKA

The federal criminal trial of Paul Tanaka, the former second in command of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, begins jury selection on Wednesday, March 23.

Mr. Tanaka is charged with obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

In thinking about what to expect from the trial, it helps to review the events underlying the federal charges for which Tanaka will be tried:

In early 2011, the FBI was actively investigating reports of brutality and corruption by deputies in the LASD-run LA County Jail system, most particularly Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) and the Twin Towers Correctional Facility (TTCF).

Yet, as their investigation continued, while the feds had become increasingly convinced that there was a pattern of abuse and corruption by deputies in the nation’s largest jail system, finding proof of these purported acts of brutality and wrongdoing that would stand up in court was not at all easy.

Back then, there were no cameras in the jails. (Cameras had been purchased by the county. But they were languishing in some LASD closet.) And, with extremely rare exceptions, the only witnesses to alleged acts of abuse—other than deputies—were inmates. But deputies backed each other up nearly unvaryingly, and inmates were likely to be viewed by a jury as less than dependable.

Moreover, the LASD’s internal investigative bureaus, Internal affairs (IAB) and Internal Criminal Investigations (ICIB) seemed to display little interest in investigating wrongdoing in the department’s own house—despite years of reports of what Southern California ACLU legal director, Peter Eliasberg, described as “an epidemic of brutal beatings.”

With all this in mind, the FBI decided to launch an undercover investigation inside the system’s most troubled facility, Men’s Central Jail—using, among other tactics, an inmate informant. This informant’s name was Anthony Brown.

According to federal documents, the investigation using Brown “concerned alleged excessive use of force by deputies against inmates in MCJ and TTCF and the alleged smuggling of contraband into MCJ and TTCF in exchange for bribes.”

At first Brown reported to his handler via collect calls. But then a sting operation was launched in which Brown would offer a custody deputy cash in return for smuggling in a contraband phone for his use.

Deputy Gilbert Michel was the deputy who took the bait. The sting was accomplished in late July 2011, and Brown now had a phone with which he could contact his FBI handlers without the LASD listening in.

But, on August 8, 2011, an alert jail deputy found informant Brown’s phone. Jail investigators were called in to examine the contraband phone in order to find out who Brown was contacting. Anthony Brown is a convicted bank robber who was still in jail only until the California Department of Corrections called for him to be transferred to state prison. Thus investigators thought he might be using the cell phone to contact criminal confederates.

He wasn’t. He was calling and texting the FBI.

On August 18, then-sheriff Lee Baca and Paul Tanaka learned unequivocally that Brown was an FBI informant, that he’d gotten the phone as part of a sting involving a dirty deputy, and that the sting was part of an undercover FBI investigation into jail brutality.

Baca got the information through a telephone conversation with Steve Martinez, the man then heading up the FBI’s LA office. And then Baca told Tanaka.

From that point on, the government alleges, Paul Tanaka directed an operation that deliberately attempted to obstruct the FBI’s investigation through multiple means, including an elaborate plan to hide inmate Brown from his FBI handlers, along with alleged attempts to keep potential deputy witnesses from talking to the FBI.

According to federal prosecutors, Tanaka and department members under his direction, also used an array of methods to find out what the FBI had learned thus far in their probe into LASD wrongdoing. Among the methods used was for two LASD sergeants to accost an FBI agent outside her home and falsely threaten to arrest her.

Twice during the course of the operation Tanaka allegedly announced at meetings that this “was one of the most important investigations in the Department’s 160 year history”—or words to that effect.

For these and other alleged actions, on March 13, 2015, Paul Tanaka was indicted and charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Former LASD Captain Tom Carey was also charged but he has since made a plea deal with the government, in exchange for truthful testimony about the events leading to the federal indictment.

There are 29 names on the government’s witness list, Tom Carey prominently among them. (See POST SCRIPT below.)

Attorneys Dean Steward and Jerome Haig will represent Tanaka, and they are expected to launch a vigorous defense that will likely include the contention that Baca, not Tanaka, directed any and all of the actions in question, and that all were part of a lawful investigation in which inmate Brown was appropriately protected from possible harm.

The government is represented by Assistant US Attorneys Brandon Fox, Lisabeth Rhodes and Eddie Jauregui.

US District Court Judge Percy Anderson will preside.

To date, seven former department members have been convicted of obstruction of justice in relation to the Anthony Brown matter, and related charges, and their convictions have been appealed to the 9th Circuit.

Additional former department members have been convicted of charges relating to the government’s jail abuse investigation.

There is another jail abuse trial still to come.


WITNESSLA & PPOA’S BRIAN MORIGUCHI TALK WITH KCRW’S WARREN OLNEY ON PAUL TANAKA’S TRIAL AND TRIBULATIONS

On Thursday night and Friday morning, WitnessLA was on KCRW’s Olney in LA talking with Warren Olney and Brian Moriguchi, president of LA County Professional Peace Officers Association, about what to expect from former Los Angeles undersheriff Paul Tanaka’s upcoming federal trial, due to start Wednesday.

You can listen to the podcast here.


2013 INTERVIEW WITH TANAKA MAY HOLD HINTS OF WHAT IS TO COME

In September of 2012, the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence issued its scathing final report that described a “troubling culture” inside the county’s jails, “which has produced both on duty and off duty aggressive misconduct.”

Much of the blame, according to the commission, was due to a failure leadership at the very top of the department. In particular, the commissioners singled out Paul Tanaka, of whom they wrote, “the troubling role of Undersheriff Tanaka cannot be ignored. Not only did he fail to identify and correct problems in the jails, he exacerbated them…”

A year later, in 2013, when Paul Tanaka was running for sheriff, KCRW’s Warren Olney interviewed the former undersheriff and asked him about what the commission had alleged.

Olney and his producer Jennifer Wolfe have reposted the 2013 interview, and it is very much worth revisiting as we move toward the beginning of the federal criminal trial of the former undersheriff who, for many years, was convinced he would be the next sheriff when Lee Baca finally stepped down.

You can listen to the interview here. But below you’ll find a couple of excerpts from the conversation between Warren Olney and Paul Tanaka to get you started.

Warren Olney: You were harshly criticized in the citizens Commission report at least as harshly criticized as the sheriff himself. How do you plan to convince voters under those circumstances that you’re the man for the job?

Paul Tanaka: First of all, it’s very convenient and unfortunate that the sheriff has resorted to something he’s become very accustomed to and that is pointing fingers and absolving himself, or attempting to, of any blame. If you look at the organizational chart during the years that the Commission did the report on the jail study 2008, 2009, 2010; those are the years in question that the commission did the report on. If you look at the organizational chart you’ll see the jails, you’ll see the captain of that particular jail facility you’ll see three or four commanders in that chain of command on the organizational chart on record. You’ll see a division chief over custody, you’ll see an assistant sheriff’s, name you’ll see an undersheriff ‘s name and you will see the sheriff’s name. You will not see Paul Tanaka’s name anywhere in that chain of command…. And so for him to point the finger at me is completely wrong. He knows that I was nowhere in that jail authority during that particular time period.

And then there is this:

WO: Whatever the Sheriff may say or think, Miriam Krinsky who is the executive director of the citizens commission says that you Undersheriff Tanaka interjected himself in jail issues even when the jails were not under his command and goes on to “We did see evidence that suggested that, at least in tone of what he said, the undersheriff did not create a spirit of compliance within the letter of the law.”

PT: Well, first of all I fundamentally disagree with the findings of that report. I made it clear during the Commission hearing and I’m making it clear right now. If you look at the people they spoke to, all the people that they quote, that they got their evidence from, those were folks had an axe to grind. Never in my 33 years never, ever, ever was I accused of misconduct or encouraging others or supporting others or condoning any type of deputy misconduct, be it brutality in the jails or misbehavior….

And this:

WO: Well, you’re not on trial. You’re running for Sheriff of Los Angeles County. Let me just read so our listeners will know what they report. It says: “The troubling role of Undersheriff Tanaka cannot be ignored. Not only did he fail to identify and correct problems in the jails, he exacerbated them. The commission learned about his ill-advised statements and decisions from a wide array of witnesses and sources. Over the course of several years, the Undersheriff encouraged deputies to push the legal boundaries of law enforcement activities and created an environment that discouraged accountability for misconduct.” It sounds like they talked to an awful lot of people.

PT: That is a well-written piece of fiction. First of all they did not talk to a lot of people. I can tell you the handful of people that talked to you and if you were to look at the individuals they talk to you they were individuals who were disgruntled and who were concerned that if I were running for office and if I were to become sheriff, they would have to be held accountable to levels that they were not accustomed to and not comfortable with.

WO: So you’re saying that the people who were witnesses and gave thier testimony…to the commission were people who had it in for you and wanted to make sure you wouldn’t become sheriff?

PT: I’m saying that and I’m saying that they flat out lied to the commission.

It’s very much worth listening to the whole interview, which you can find here.

We will, of course, have lots more to report this week and next, after the trial begins.

So stay tuned.


POST SCRIPT:

For those who are interested, here are the potential witness for the prosecution:

1. Robert Olmsted, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
2. John Clark, formerly with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department;
3. Al Gonzales, formerly with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department;
4. Dennis Conte, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
5. Peter Eliasberg, American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”);
6. Pat Maxwell, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
7. Steve Roller, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
8. Steve Martinez, formerly with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation;
9. Robert Bayes, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
10. Mickey Manzo, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
11. Connie Cervantes, formerly with the Sheriff’s Youth
Foundation;
12. David Dahle, Federal Bureau of Investigation;
13. Bobby Lyons, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
14. Judy Gerhardt, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
15. Linda Farrar, former contractor with the United States
Marshal’s Service;
16. Michelle Miller, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
17. Gus Academia, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
18. Tara Adams, formerly with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department;
19. Kathy Voyer, formerly with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department;
20. Ralph Ornelas, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
21. Michael Bornman, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
22. Gilbert Michel, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
23. William David Courson, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department;
24. John Powell, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
25. David Betkey, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
26. William “Tom” Carey, formerly with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department;
27. John Torribio, Los Angeles County Superior Court;
28. Leah Tanner, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
29. Ruben Martinez, formerly of the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department

61 Comments

  • The interview with Tanaka is old news and won’t matter much. I seriously doubt that he will get off the hook. Another hugh billing for Tanaka’s Attorneys will be the highlight of the trial.

  • The DOJ had been looking into abusive practices at MCJ for over a decade prior to engaging Anthony Brown as their informant.
    The DOJ and LASD had signed MOU’s which predate Sheriff Baca.
    The agreements detailed guidelines for proper handling of jail custodies and recognized the DOJ’s role in monitoring compliance.
    As the allegations continued, the two agencies were satisfied with signing an updated MOU every few years.

    The Feds only began to budge from their benign approach after civil lawsuits filed by injured inmates were making significant progress.
    Specifically, the private lawyers were winning approval to proceed against Sheriff Baca, the individual citizen, as a named defendant subject to personal liability.

    One can speculate that AG Holder took notice.
    Holder was at DOJ from 1997- 2001 and he returned as AG in 2009. Adding Holder as a defendant would make sense – he knew of the abusive practices, he was obligated to monitor the progress of reforms and he took no effective steps beyond the MOU’s to prevent the continuing violations.

    The FBI retains informant Anthony Brown as their eyes on the inside, thus providing a CYA for Holder.
    At the same time, DOJ knew there is a snowball’s chance of Anthony Brown and his smuggled cellphone resulting in anything actionable at MCJ.

    If Baca and Tanaka had done nothing, they would have come out just fine.
    Pandora’s Box is proof that both men are functionally insane.

    Baca’s craving for approval and delusions of grandeur mask deep insecurity and fear of rejection.
    Tanaka is narcissist-sociopath.

    The minions bear the brunt of the show trials.
    Baca gets a slap on the wrist and explodes into a burst of crocodile tears.
    Tanaka probably enjoys the challenge of facing prosecution, which he can portray as persecution.

    The DOJ still needs to prove the sincerity of their mission.
    It will take all 12 to convict.
    If Tanaka gets a 10-2 mistrial, will they refile charges or just fade away.

  • “Moreover, the LASD’s internal investigative bureaus showed little interest in investigating wrong doings in the Department.” No suprise there. Just curious who the IAB Captain was at the time that allowed all this criminal behavior to flourish without consequence.

  • Quasi Moto, the only MOU between the federal government and the County of LA on the jails concerned the treatment of inmates with mental illness. That MOU was not part of a criminal probe, it was part of a CIVIL investigation that required LASD and DMH to change certain practice and do certain things for inmates with mental illness. You are probably correct that US DOJ did not enforce the MOU as vigorously as it should have. But, the cases against Tanaka, Carey, Luviano and about 15 other LASD personnel was part of a CRIMINAL probe, by DOJ, the FBI, and the US Attorney for the Central District of California. There is little or no interaction between criminal investigations and civil investigations.

  • Tanaka’s legal team will most likely frame his defense that he, PT, really tried to fix LASD, hold people accountable, maintain professional standards of accountability, that he was really the good guy and that Baca was really the problem. PT will probably say he was only following orders and did all he could to protect everyone. Yep, that is a great defense, Paul, stick with that one, it’s a real winner.

    Brian Moraguchi, your interview was disgraceful. To say Pandora’s Box was nothing more than a pissing contest is a slap to the face of your entire membership. This is not the first time you have made those disgrace comments in an interview. This was NOT a pissing contest, this was a Federal criminal investigation for a disturbing pattern of beatings of inmates, like the infamous MCJ Visiting Front caper. No need to rehash it all, the Federal convictions speak volumes. We all know who was behind this pattern of abuse, what captain, lieutenants and sergeants were complicit and walked away unscathed. To say this was a pissing contest tells me that Brian is only fooling himself and explains why PPOA was silent, absolutely silent during the Tanaka reign of terror against the membership. Time for a handful of insurgent candidates to run for the PPOA Board of Directors and become part of the solution and not be “the” problem. Pissing contest? No Brian, you’re pissing on our pant leg and trying to convince us it is just warm rain.

  • Although many, many things were done wrong by the department, an objective analysis can’t ignore why the Feds created this turf war in the first place. In court documents, they revealed that an investigation conducted by them done sometime after 2000 at a PDC facility was compromised after they made command staff aware of it. Or so they say.

    I guess because Feds never cross the line and compromise investigations it makes sense. Oh, wait…

    Make no mistake, when it comes to dirty deputies running dope, we don’t need any help from the “big dogs.” We clean house quite well, thank you very much. Obviously, force got out of hand – ain’t no denying that. What it set up today is a jail system completely run by the inmates, which has and will continue, to get deputies hurt.

    Yippee for social justice.

  • Quasi Moto. You are correct in that Anthony Brown had nothing credible. Baca & Tanaka panicked for no reason. The rest is history.

  • Yes, those of us who didn’t seek to ride in the car with PT nor participate and benefit from stroking his gigantic ego are looking forward to his trial, his public humiliation and strong likelihood he receives his just due. That said, he did so much more to harm the careers and lives of so many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of employees, their families and residents of Los Angeles County. The charges they brought against him don’t even begin to scratch the surface of his corrupt and atrocious conduct or account for all the good and decent people he screwed over. And vividly remembering how his lackey lieutenants and captain he hand-picked to manage MCJ are so far, not being held accountable. Let’s hope there is more to come.

  • @ FPK1. Ask Hoffstetter…… he and Floyd Hayhurst had issues with Sexton getting legal representation.

    That racket continues at ALADS concerning legal representation.

  • No Dan Cruz, Larry Waldie, William Stonich or most of all Lee Baca? Well, I’m not on the defense team!

  • @ no secret, who could blame Sexton for getting his own attorney? The one ALADS was suppose to provide no showed for his grand jury testimony. The FEDS (liars and cheaters) assured him he wasn’t a target. Tanaka better get ready he is about to experience the wrath of Percy Anderson (worst federal judge in America).

  • I have no comment. This whole affair turns my stomach. Inept supervisors, promotions based on donations and a consent decree, I look at the JDIC messages and giggle to myself at who’s getting promoted. Puhleeze………. I feel most of the old school with 20+ years on, care about the troops, that’s long gone now. Now it’s all lie-ability and the patients. I’ve talked to people who have promoted, and now, regret it……… Such a heartbreak…… 🙁

  • At best, PT is simply an incompetent law enforcement officer and a very bad liar. Listen to his interview on KFI where he states he utilized the term the “gray area” as simply a color – as he would use the color “green”. WTF? At worse, he is a pathological liar. He lies and can’t keep up with them all. His stories change…the lies get deeper. What will his defense team conjure up? Will he take the stand? Ohhhhh the suspense is awful!!!

  • No Lee Baca on the prosecution’s witness list? What’s that all about? There are only two possible explanations for that. Baca was even farther off in the ozone and more clueless than any of us could have imagined or the prosecution is concerned the defense will impeach his testimony by making an issue of his mental health status and the psych meds. he is/was taking.
    I’m betting it’s the latter. Everybody knows he’s a nut case. Every one of his execs. knew it it by his sixth month in office. It took the LA Media 14 years to figure it out. They thought he was, what was the word they used to describe him? Oh yeah, “progressive”.

    If I was Dean Seward, I would simply read Baca’s statement to a reporter from several years ago back to him: “A way of seeing is also a way of not seeing, and I’m one who tries to see more than is able to be seen”.
    Then I’d ask him to explain that statement. Let him go off on one of his rambling incoherent monologues that doesn’t come close to explaining what he meant.
    Ok then. No need to worry about anything he testified to. Now the jury knows he’s nuts!

  • Where is the Justice? Thank you for the KARMA obs(ervation). I hope Percy is the WORST there is, as you comment. Because there is NO ONE that deserves to be treated WORSE then this corrupt, lying, manipulative, person named paul tanaka. I hope there’s more deals to be made for people, and the buried smoking guns can be dug up. Let percy add some more years to that sentence. All those of us that knew he and Leroy were getting away with it for the two decades they were can only hope. Thankfully now some of it has come out threw their collapsing, arrogant, quite frankly STUPID (on their part), house of cards.

    The campaign fund stuff. Is there anything there? He used on duty sheriff’s personnel to do his gardena mayor campaigning. they should be easy to find, they are all the current lieutenants, captains, and commanders of the LASD. Actually, McDonell may have promoted some??? Anyone???

    The waste company? the tow yards?

    The pay to play promotions. The FBI wire that caught up the Carson captain, LONG time tanaka girl, giving out test information, between doing the behind the scenes for her waste company, tanaka donor, boyfriend when his gang member friends were getting harassed by deputies. Her lieutenants that had to scramble off his yacht to go make calls. oh wait, didn’t she get a FULL pension and retired? she’s probably one of his major defense fund participants.

    PLEASE, someone, get in trouble and make a deal. Or maybe the union, good ol Brian, could make a case for how mathematically impossible band 1’s with about a HUNDRED names occurred and SHOULDN’T be looked over, the 100% AP’s, and oral scores, for people with NO experience or ability. But, I guess we might not have the stomach for that one. How ALL these corrupt, precinct walking, on duty, non-gardena residents, are STILL profiting from their, quite frankly, criminal activity. Maybe it’s one of those, it’s EASIER to move on things. How AWESOME for them, AND, brian, and jim. jim got the stars…. can a pair of bars be in brains future???

  • How can three Chiefs who were the Commanders at TTCF, not get called. Let me guess Plausible Deniability. It is such crap. Even though the three clowns were up to their own shenanigans, they had to know what was going on, they were all sitting right their shaking in their boots because little Pauly might get mad at them. Pathetic.

  • @ Where is justice?
    No worries, ALADS vs Macias Et Al come October will shed light on the inner workings @ ALADS Board of Directors.
    In typical ALADS fashion, they also stiffed Macias by refusing legal representation. The legal plan at ALADS is basically decided by casting lots and drawing straws. With Shinee at the helm, nothing will change…. The proof speaks for itself and has for over 3 decades.

  • Haaa, I see old Roy Burns is tootin his horn in support of ole tall Paul on the LASD FB page. Roy, I know he took care of you, but many of us did not make the short list and suffered behind this dwarf. Stop while you’re ahead ole buddy. Paul is goin to the big house where he belongs. BTW, what up with his spot at Gardena, is the lil guy still taking a “leave of absence”. Hey cigar coin holders, we know who you are. Do you notice the lack of respect you’re getting? That’s because we know how you got your positions/rank. This investigation is not over. If you examine the Brady list, you will see that many on it were also Paul friends and donors, yet they still promoted and moved on to good spots.

  • Stand by PT, there are some good people on that Prosecution witness list whose careers you ruined for not playing along!

  • If I were one of the AS, Chiefs, Commanders, Captains, and OPs LT’s who responded I don’t know or don’t recall, I would be very interested about what Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Manzo are going to say on the stand.

    Jim McD!!!!! You had three divisions collaborating on this effort. Do you think for a minute there was just these guys involved? You have promoted or kept half the people in this band including the guy who tried to go to Beverly Hills PD.

    And Mr. Manzo, I thought you were a tough guy who rolled up his sleeves to show his tattoos and chewed tobacco products?!? I see you up there as a State’s witness. Add that to your resume of Rio Hondo and 3000 floor bo-ooy. Guess you did not want to make uniforms for the Navy in a correctional facility on Tanaka and Thompson’s behalf after all.

  • I had the misfortune of being assigned to OSJ after being transferred from MCJ. I was neither wanted or liked apparently, as I was given “freeway therapy” for the majority of my assignment at this unit. While I was commuting over 200 miles per day, (over 300 once a week on CARP days and yes I was the only one CARPing) this LASD vs. FBI power struggle was being played out. Sometimes, not only is it a good thing not to “be in the car”, it is better to not even know where the parking lot is located.

  • Miss Berry,

    Nice try working backwards on your failed career. Freeway therapy is altogether different from being loaned from an on loan spot to another because of your ineptitude and attitude. Also I’m fairly certain it does not include a take home black and white with county gas. As I understand it, freeway therapy is being forced to work an undesirable location far from home, not being treated as a supervisory hot potato because you are not capable of successful interaction with adult human beings.

    I fear this may be a rhetorical question, but in your illustrious career did you ever mentor, help, or positively influence the life or career of any subordinate or peer or was it always just about you?

  • In my 30 years, my parting gift was to see the three Stooges meet their fate.

    1) Little Paul
    2) Baka Baca
    3) Null & Void Floyd (Hayhurst).

    The pleasure is all mine.

  • Baca allowed our Department to become a circus side show. Glad he’s gone. Now let’s get rid of the freaks and clowns.

  • “Bandwagon Says:
    March 21st, 2016 at 10:13 am
    “Moreover, the LASD’s internal investigative bureaus showed little interest in investigating wrong doings in the Department.” No suprise there. Just curious who the IAB Captain was at the time that allowed all this criminal behavior to flourish without consequence.”

    Bandwagon,

    It doesn’t matter who was in charge of the Internal Affairs Bureau. Their responsibility is only to investigate administrative policy violations. The issues here go far beyond administrative violations. They address criminal conduct. Those violations are addressed by the Sheriff’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau. The captain of that bureau (Tom Carey) has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

  • PH1, excellent post. The question you asked within the last paragraph, the answer is 1. No and 2. Yes.

    Tomorrow will be a grand day. The root of all evil will be facing the music. His version of a Nuremberg Trial will soon begin. He will sit at the Defense table with a legal tablet, taking copious notes, whispering comments to his attorney, looking haggard and lost. He will snap to attention each time the judge enters/departs the bench, same with the jury as they enter/departs their box, always wanting to leave each with a good impression. He will smile and laugh at any moment of humor in a feeble attempt to humanize himself. Put on your war face, Paul, this chickenshit caper called Pandora’s Box is going to be your worst nightmare. I say, “is going to be,” because the sleepless nights, the tossing and turning, the bewilderment that you have been experiencing is nothing compared to what lies ahead of you. All of those who you have screwed for sport over the years, to establish power and control, will be rooting for you. Enjoy the ride, you’ve earned it. In between meetings, I’ll step across the street to check in. Wonder if the media will follow this trial? You bet.

  • How about ask the sergeants who promoted from LENNOX. They did well on their exam during tanaka years. I wonder how. Ask them if they had the answers. LIARS.. What a joke.

  • Relax Rick. You are reading to much into my post. My sarcasm was directed at those in power and authority who should have stepped up and put a stop to all the bullshit. Yes, Tom Carey was indicted, but I am quite sure there are others equally deserving, including former IAB Captains.

  • EDITOR’S NOTE:

    “Questions,” I don’t know if PT will take the stand. But we all certainly hope so. My personal guess is that he will want to, but I don’t know what his attorney will recommend If I were his lawyer, I’d advise strongly against it. I’ll let y’all know when I get a read.

    “Oh Well,” Baca will not be called because he will take the 5th, so it’s worthless to call him. His attorney tried to get in fragments of an interview Baca did with the feds in which he said he micromanaged everything, or words to that effect. The judge said no, presumably because one cannot cross examine an interview.

    As for who the defense will call, the list I posted only refers to the prosecution’s witness list, not that of the defense, so we don’t know yet. When I do know, I’ll post it as part of the reports I’ll be doing on the trial.

    The first 10 days or so of testimony will belong to the prosecution.

    The trial will be Tuesdays-Fridays with Monday dark, every week, I believe. (Or at least that’s what Judge Anderson usually does.)

    Jury selection is going on right now. It’s expected to go into tomorrow with opening arguments occurring tomorrow as well. But we’re all ready to race to the court if it looks like they’ll finish today (Wed.)

    In any case, the curtain will rise soon.

    C.

  • The line swine get multiple years in prison. Carey’s deal requires him to testify truthfully. Then the feds let Baca plead out for a maximum of six months, on a deal that doesn’t even require him to testify?
    Well now, that certainly leaves us with some questions. Does it not?

  • For those wondering about the pay to play scam, IAB was full aware of the cheating scandal with the lieutenant exams, and so was OIR. They elected to look the other way and pretend it didn’t exist, even after it was laid at their feet. Now the question resurfaces about all those current managers and execs who cheated their way from sergeant to lieutenant. Do they have property rights on a rank they are ineligible for because of prior cheating? The list is in circulation, and it’s a dandy. There are current commanders, captains, and lieutenants on it, maybe even a chief or two. I’d love to see it published…

  • Yea ck the list and also determine how many of them were taken out of band three and four and then placed on band two. Shortly after they were promoted to LT. There is no possible way you can write a 65 to 70 paper and then the next exam you write a 96/98 paper. This was exactly what tanaka did to promote his people. There was a total of 35 people bumped from band 3/4. Out of the 35, 31 were promoted to LT. The rest of the people died on band 2, which was around 40 and 36 actually made band 2 without filing a grievance…..tell me tanaka didn’t set this up.

  • There is word floating around that Baca knows and is prepared to take a 4 year sentence from Percy. His plea agreement says he can withdraw his guilty plea if Judge Anderson does not go with the Government recommendation. However, he would be immediately indicted for the obstruction and open himself up to maximums above 20 years. He took the lying to federal agents, which is slam dunk and moved on with out a thought of the folks he laid on the alter. Baca yet again showing his self preservation mantra.

    Lastly, Melinda Berry is a perfect example of why you do not post under your real name and make outrageous claims in an attempt to self promote your righteousness and indemnify yourself too. Sgt. Berry was in charge of the same team and individuals who transported special inmates, which is why she had that take home car she failed to mention in her freeway therapy story.

    I had an easier time bathing a feral cat in ice water than working with her and coordinating tactical operations.

  • It’s sad that the ring leader, Baca, and Carey took deals while their troops got screwed. Carey should have had the balls to say no to Baca and Tanaka and protected just troops.

  • Just a cop, it’s no coincidence why the people were placed in the positions they were in when they failed to do their job. They actually did their job as Baca and Tanaka envisioned it – facilitate and be yes men only, with a promise of another promotion down the line if their good little boys and girls.

    Jack Dawson, thanks for the laugh on that feral cat business, hilarious!

  • Using your real name on here is like logging onto WitnessLA from a county computer, from your unit of assignment, a bad idea. Go ahead and call me a coward, cluck, cluck I’m a chicken, seeing how MCD is on a witch hunt (I’ve actually heard he’s chilled out a little bit), I’m happy behind my anonymity. I give to sh*ts about PT or LB, I’m more worried about the incompetent people that they promoted, leading us into the abyss. Ineffectual supervisors who are people I wouldn’t p*ss on if they were on fire.

  • LATBG, you are absolutely on the money. Tanaka placed people he could control into key positions knowing they would do anything he asked. To Wit, one Tom Carey. Tom, to ingratiate himself with Tanaka and make the next Commander’s list, put his subordinates into harms way. Tom, you screwed your people, you dishonored your bars, that you will live with after you are humiliated on the witness stand. Your subordinates are heading to prison or a retrial and then prison because of you.

    Berry, lost track after she left in disgrace from Field Operations. A total train wreck and disgrace to the three stripes that represents mentorship and leadership.

  • FPK, you’re right. Ole Roy Burns is still drinking the lil mans’s kool aide on that page. Hey Roy, tall Paul liked anyone that would do his bidding. Plenty of great Cops lost their careers behind that idiot.

  • @ .41 & .45.
    I hope ALADS board member Ron Hernandez sees your post, re: using real name on WLA, then playing Sherlock Holmes to get other posters to say theirs. What a crock.

  • Argus,

    There’s too many uncertainties in the trial equation to try and figure out what role various witnesses will play in the trial. Betkey was very close to Tanaka. I’ve always found him to be an honorable man, and the prosecution may value him to accurately provide an insiders view. As to what, I really cannot guess. Gerhardt would have a lot of insight into personnel assignment issues. There is some suggestion that Tanaka may have improperly manipulated personnel assignments in furtherance of his objectives.

    But that’s just my speculation. We’ll need to see how the trial plays out.

  • Rick D, you’re being a little too kind to use the terms “suggestion” and “may have” in the description of Tanaka’s role in personnel assignments. He decided who got promoted, who didn’t, and where everyone would be assigned to further his aspirations of becoming sheriff and maintaining absolute control over the organization. These are hard facts, born out in multiple witnesses, testimony before the CCJV, depositions in lawsuits, complaints filed with DFEH, EEOC, the county’s OAAC, the Office of Independent Review, campaign contribution records (form 460’s) to the point a blind man could read this.

    I will kindly ask you to strike that and rephrase.

  • LATBG,

    No, I think my comments need to remain as originally stated. It’s important for us to keep in mind who is responsible for determining the “hard facts” here. It’s neither you, nor I. It’s the trial jury. They’ll hear the evidence and make their decision. I believe that it’s important to speak (and to write) in a context that respects their ability to decide either way.

    For the record, I’m really troubled by the events here. I worked directly for Paul, managing a project, when he was a lieutenant. It was a great experience. He treated me well, and give me a lot of latitude to manage. I never saw him (at that time) act in any way that unfair or improper. I left that job with a lot of respect for his ability. When I later worked on projects for him when he was an Assistant Sheriff and Undersheriff, I found a markedly different person. I’m not sure what changed. There’s a really good leadership study to be had here, and hope that folks will undertake that study once the trial is over. There’s some lessons that are just to important not to learn from.

    But for now, let’s respect the jury as the trier of fact.

  • Betkey could tell the courts how many miles he ran with Tanaka on a daily basis……WHAT DO YOU NEED BOSS, GET ME A CUP OF COFFEE AND BE QUICK ABOUT IT, OH YEA AND A CIGAR. GET MY RUNNING GEAR AND GET IT CLEANED FOR TOMORROWS RUN. GOOD BOY, NOW YOUR CAPTAIN AND MAYBE COMMANDER MATERIAL. HE HAS A LOT OF INSIDE INFORMATION.

  • Rick D,
    You’re not sure what changed? Seriously? Let me give you the rundown of how the majority of LASD personnel saw the change taking place before our very eyes.
    When Tanaka was a LT, his career was pretty much at a standstill. He was going anywhere under Block, or any of Block’s people. Their opinion of Tanaka was no secret.
    He was probably a decent Lt. while you worked for him because he had accepted his fate and was only trying to be a good Lt., so maybe he could catch a break and make Captain. He wasn’t CONSUMED at that time by the dream of being The Man. He didn’t believe it was possible.
    Then Baca announced he was running against Block. The little guy most likely thought to himself: “What the hell, I’ve got nothing to lose, I won’t get any love from the Block regime” and so Tanaka threw a Hail Mary and became a vocal and involved supporter of Baca. But it was still a pipe dream, really. Baca’s chances were slim.
    Then Block fell in the shower. The rest is history.
    Boom, Baca’s the Sheriff. But Baca, being the loon he is, and now drunk with power, isn’t the least bit concerned with balancing his checkbook. He goes way over budget. The BOS is PISSED at him and his relationship with the BOS begins to unravel. As delusional as Leroy is, even he recognizes the potential problem here. Tanaka, being an accountant, comes riding to his rescue. He balances the LASD checkbook. Now Baca really owes him!!!!! Plus, now the little guy knows ALL the big secrets. No, not that Baca is delusional. By now EVERYBODY knows that. That’s no secret. What the little guy knows now is where the money went. This gives the little guy leverage. He knows things that Leroy doesn’t ever want made public.
    The little guy realizes he’s in a position of power! Baca not only owes him, but Baca doesn’t want to alienate him. He knows too much. All of sudden, the dream comes back to life. It could happen. He COULD be The Man!
    Right before our eyes, the change takes place. The little guy sets forth putting his plan into motion. He won’t let anything get in the way. He is CONSUMED by the dream. He becomes OBSESSED. He now conducts himself as the obsessed man he is, with a singular purpose.
    In a short period of time, Tanaka went from a guy who thought he’d most likely retire at most as a Captain, to a guy who believed he could make it happen. He could be The Man.
    We watched it play out. The final chapter is all that is left to be written.

    How did it happen? That’s easy when you think about it. It happened because a mentally unstable delusional wack job got elected sheriff. He couldn’t even balance his checkbook. On top of that, he wasn’t near as concerned with being the sheriff as he was with globetrotting the world, delivering his message.

    THE LITTLE GUY STEPPED INTO THE VOID.

    It could’ve happened. It was supposed to happen. It almost happened. But the little guy just couldn’t let it happen. He tried to make it happen. He screwed the pooch!
    Now the dream not only is dead, it’s become the little guy’s nightmare!
    Hello Mr. Murphy and Ms. Karma. Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Fate.

  • Oh Well,

    You may very well be right. I’m really troubled by the events and they really need a close look. The one problem with your theory is that it requires a lot of people to have turned a blind eye to Tanaka’s post-Block activities. But that’s not much of a reach. I was away from the department on active duty after the 9/11 shenanigans and came back in 2003. I was amazed how much things had changed while I was away. Sound decision-making process seemed to be replaced by “Group Think” and it was Tanaka leading that process.

  • Rick,
    Thanks for your service brother!
    As far as everybody turning a blind eye to Tanaka’s “post Block activities”, that’s EXACTLY what happened. Shit man, they turned a blind eye to ALL of Baca’s bullshit! They all kept the secret. It was the biggest joke on the dept.. They got real good at burying their heads in the sand and not rocking the boat. So when Tanaka “Had Baca dirty” and basically owned Baca, all the execs. knew Baca wasn’t going to spank Tanaka. Also, the BOS fell in love with Tanaka. They knew who balanced the books, thereby saving them from severely cutting the LASD budget, which would’ve been VERY bad for them politically.
    There’s a reason when Tanaka was an AS that he had the confidence to lord over those meetings at CJ when it wasn’t even in his chain of command. He had the juice. There was a running joke among dept. members who were in the know that Cavanaugh couldn’t get his car washed without the little guy’s permission. Waldie? Come on man! Those two knew (and Stonich before Waldie) their place on the food chain. Tanaka was Baca’s (and the BOS’) Golden Child, and they all knew it. Shit bro, EVERYBODY knew it.
    That’s how it happened. It was a sick dysfunction situation. As soon as Tanaka became AS, he was pulling the strings. Waldie and Cavanaugh absolutely turned a blind eye to his bullshit. They knew which way the “sit down” would go if they ever put Baca on the hot seat re: the little guy.
    By 2003 when you came back, it was all a charade. Waldie and Cavanaugh were figure heads. Baca was busy travelling the world spreading his message of tolerance for Muslims. The little guy was running things! He had his people placed in every unit on the dept.. His takeover was in full swing. THAT’S why things appeared so different when you came back. Because they were lol. It was just a matter of time before the crazy old man stepped down and appointed him to the big seat. The little guy was ok with that. He was running things. He had the power. He could wait for the title. So he didn’t rock the boat either re: Baca being delusional. He was the anointed one. He just had to bide his time before he got the title too. He was supposed to be The Man.

  • Oh Well: I can’t wait for the book to come out. You should write the screenplay also. Well stated….

  • Oh Well. Great history. I must add a little. When Baca ran out of money in June before his election, he appeared to have gone off hid med’s. He was more delusional than usual. Tanaka came to his rescue. He and friends from Gardena Casino’s and other places took Baca to Hawaii for a couple of weeks. They infused him with money and appeared to get him back on his med.’s. From then on T owned Baca. Each time his name came up for promotion at EPC, Baca would not allow any negative comments about him. The writing was on the wall. Stonich and Waldie were in it for themselves and could care less. As long as they got their promotions, they let Baca run wild. That’s a pair that should also be prosecuted investigated and prosecuted.

  • The Baca & Tanaka era is over minus the judicial cleanup. After righteous venting is finished, the next topic of conversation is how does LASD not make the same mistakes. Will deputies and command staff speak up when any appearance of tyranny rears it ugly head. Will ALADS & PPOA truly represent their members and refuse to be puppets for the regime…… Only time and balls will tell. Peter J.Pitchess along with Sherman Block is surely missed.

  • Stfu idiot
    Let me guess ! your a cop
    And what do cops do they blame everyone else but themselves
    The chickens have come home to roost son
    Regardless of the reasons behind the investigation it still doesn’t dismiss the fact the the cops are criminals and HAVE to be stopped and if that means idiot cops who think they can threaten an FBI officer outside her own home get exposed for what they are then so be it .

  • Well said and so very very true
    These cops destroy so many lives by their actions and I’m so glad somebody has pointed this out
    There is a stream of endless victims out there who let out a cheer of joy when these people get their just desserts
    Unfortunately it’s too little too late for some people but hopefully it will help save some other families out there .

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