Los Angeles Sheriff Will Serve Jail Time for Lying to Investigators

Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca plead guilty for his roll in corruption scandal.

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will serve up to six months in prison for lying to federal investigators who were investigating civil rights violations at the Los Angeles County Men's Jail. An FBI probe found that deputies abused inmates and even hid an informant who had been reporting abuses in the jail to the authorities (read the pleading document here). From the Los Angeles Times:

Last year, Baca's former top aide, Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, was indicted on charges of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to thwart the FBI, raising questions about whether Baca would be the next to face prosecution.

The grand jury indictment of Tanaka offered a portrait of a department adrift, with senior officials who were responsible for investigating abuses working instead to undermine internal safeguards and ignoring repeated warnings of widespread problems in the nation's largest jail system.

The investigation into the sheriff's department has been going on for five years and has resulted in more than a dozen former officials being convicted. Reason TV spoke with the American Civil Liberties Union back in 2013 after the feds announced they would be charging 18 officers involved in corruption in the largest jail system in the United States.

Comments

[Crusty Juggler]

From the linked article:

In a plea agreement filed in federal court Wednesday morning, Baca admitted that he lied when he told federal authorities that he was unaware that his subordinates planned to approach the FBI agent leading the jail investigation at her home.

"He definitely feels bad," Zweiback said about his client. Asked what Baca specifically feels bad about, the attorney said: "He feels bad about a lot of things."

Zweiback said that federal sentencing guidelines specify up to six months in prison for making a false statement, but that Baca could also be sentenced to probation and not serve any time behind bars.

They tried to intimidate a federal agent? A lady federal agent?

It is too bad he will not spend any time in the L.A. County Jail, or most likely any jail time at all.

[Fist of Etiquette]

That level of audacity comes from a culture of complete lack of accountability. They were shocked to rage at the very notion someone would dare attempt question their behavior in their own kingdom.

[C. Anacreon]

I hope he gets the full time in jail. Six months is a lot to chew, Baca.

[SusanM]

May the farce be with you

[Mr Lizard]

YOU TWO! GET OVER HERE!

*sternly narrows gaze while looking around for Swiss Servitor*

[Ted S.]

Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca plead guilty for his roll in corruption scandal.

They came up snake eyes?

[Mr Lizard]

Only works if you're dumb enough to play the field

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sometiems you just have to role with it dude LOL

[Libertarian]

Seems like a harsh sentence for lying about civil rights abuses. Martha Stewart was sentenced to only 5 months for something really, really horrific.

[Mr Lizard]

Being friends with Oprah?...

[Tyler.C]

I know, i mean if our officers cant wantonly enforce their whims on the masses, how will we keep the tides of anarchy from destroying our beautiful nation?

[sloopyinTEXAS]

So he will end up with a more lenient sentence than Barry Bonds?

Yeah, that makes sense.

[sloopyinTEXAS]

I'm sure as part of his sentence, he will have to give up the pension he "earned" in part by being a criminal scumbag. Right?

[Ted S.]

Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

/catches breath

No; it's still a joke. Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

And erase decades of public sacrifice?

[Eman]

personally, i dont see trading one's time and effort for money as a sacrifice.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The only reason this public official is getting slammed is because he's Hispanic.

[__Warren__]

Chuy Baca?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Don't make the Identity Politics Narrative weird.

[__Warren__]

Lock him up and throw away the Wookie!

[Jerryskids]

I'm sure Baca is a bad guy, but taking a plea deal from the Feds is pretty meaningless when I know they can lean on anybody so hard taking a plea is the only way out even if you're completely innocent. If the guy's really that bad, put him on trial, prove your case and stick him away for 20 years or so. If he's really that bad, 6 months is just a way to claim you've taken care of the problem when all you've really done is swept it back under the rug until it oozes back out again about 10 years from now. We're sending the sheriff to jail for 6 months, so everything's fixed, move along, nothing to see here, we're fine now.

What problem is it they've claimed to have taken care of? All they've addressed is the fact that he lied to an investigator. Well big deal - what about what it was he was lying to the investigators about? All that other crap in the article is - legally speaking - beside the point, it ain't got shit to do with shit. Baca is not going to jail because he's an evil bastard, he's not admitting he's an evil bastard, the Feds haven't proven he's an evil bastard, they're not even accusing him of being an evil bastard. He's going to jail because he told a lie, that's all. Everything else is just rumors and gossip, as far as the courts are concerned. None of it even gets into the question of whether or not the whole department is nothing but a bunch of evil bastards and should all be taken out and shot, which is what we're supposed to be addressing.

[Crusty Juggler]

He's going to jail

Not yet. He could still be sentenced to probation.

[Charles Easterly]

"... what about what it was he was lying to the investigators about?"

""Inmates were routinely sexually humiliated and severely beaten by sheriff's deputies at the jails, according to the Department of Justice."

See "Memorandum of Agreement Regarding Mental Health Services at the Los Angeles County Jail"

The aforementioned agreement (from back in the late 90s) meant to stop the varied systematic abuses and the agreement's provisions were "Agreed to by:
For the County: [signature of] Leroy D. Baca, LEROY D. BACA, Sheriff, Los Angeles County" et al.

Otherwise, Jerryskids, I agree with part of what you've expressed, the part first being that the article could have been much clearer with regards to the ongoing abuses and the second being that Mr. Baca is, and will apparently not be, charged with anything other than lying twice.

[AlgerHiss]

The sad?or horribly wrong part of this is?.YOU are not allowed to lie to investigators, but THEY are allowed to lie to you.

So: Government is allowed to lie to the citizen, but the citizen is not allowed to lie to government.

Anyone proud to be an American ought to be embarrassed. This is so upside down?and wrong.

But, as far as Baca goes...eat it, tough guy. This is precisely what you've done to countless people over the years.

Nice to see a sphincter-coward getting burned with his own bullshit.

[Reflections]

Miracles do happen. Let's hope this is the beginning of police accountability.

[Reflections]

Now this is ironic. A police chief of one the largest police department in the United States is actually going to be held accountable. Miracles do happen.

[CZmacure]

He's rolling.

They're hating.

[lukashik]

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