U.S. Department of Justice officials recently notified county officials via email that they’re “keeping an eye on” how the county handles the future of the office, as well as the use of informants in the jail by the Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office.
The Office of The Ombudsman General, has also been keeping an opened eye but trying to stay out of the Oversight until after a Law Suit is adjudicated. National Ombudsman, is an independent government oversight agency acting as an advocate for private citizens in response to complaints of misconduct against public officials, public employees, and private contractors employed by public entities. The agency investigates complaints, issues reports of its findings, and attempts to remedy problems through mediation where possible and litigation where necessary.
Bishop L J Guillory, Ombudsman General for National Ombudsman and Ombudsman International spoke out at Orange County Board of Supervisors; the meeting included other presentations by police oversight experts Merrick Bobb, executive director of the police assessment Resource Center; Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law; Michael Gennaco, former member of the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review Brian Buckner, President of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. The panel also included Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
Bobb, who monitored the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as special counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, praised Hutchens, Connelly and the Office of Independent Review model but said if supervisors want another model, an inspector general office is something to consider. Supervisors made no decisions, but Spitzer and Andrew Do will meet as an ad hoc committee to make recommendations at the next board meeting Aug. 4.
State lawyers filed a brief July 14 supporting the District Attorney Tony Rackauckas’ appeal of a March decision to bar his office from the penalty phase of Seal Beach mass murderer Scott Dekraai, who was targeted by an illegal informant while housed at the jail and faces the death penalty. In it, they reference “systemic problems” in the sheriff’s office and misconduct by deputies they argue is unrelated to the DA’s office.
"I Support Oversight in Orange County, as there is a Great need for it. I have stayed out of this fight do in part to my own 'Law Suit' against Orange County. Which, has been going on since 2007 and has cost Orange County Millions. Yet, there Legal Team at the County have refuse to ever try to resolve the Case that has now been ruled by The Court of Appeal and Confirmed by The California Supreme Court that other taxpayers and I had had our Civil Rights Violated by a (former) Orange County Sheriff - 'Guillory vs Hill' said; Bishop Guillory"
“I was alarmed that they’d already pointed fingers and they hadn’t started an investigation,” said Board Chairman Todd Spitzer.
Meanwhile, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has recruited a panel of legal experts to look at the informant issue. But Hutchens said Friday it “deserves a larger look.”
