October 2017
Volume 2, Issue 10
Dear Friends:
This month marks the 30th anniversary of national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

It is a time when we strengthen our resolve to stop this destructive crime. 

Read the full remarks  here .
Spotlight:
 Crimes Against Peace Officers Section
Law enforcement officers are the foundation of a peaceful society; when one is harmed in the line of duty, it impacts everyone. That is why prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office are quickly on the scene when an officer is injured or killed on the job.

This immediate response is part of the mission of the office’s Crimes Against Peace Officers Section (CAPOS). In the past 12 months, prosecutors from that section rolled out to roughly 20 incidents in which officers were attacked, said Darren Levine, head deputy of the office’s Target Crimes Division, which oversees CAPOS.

“It definitely makes me realize how dangerous their job is,” he said.

CAPOS was created to foster a hands-on approach to prosecuting these crimes. The office and law enforcement agencies have an agreement that allows district attorney personnel to roll out to the scene. Prosecutors make themselves available to assist the investigating agency in the drafting of search warrants, suspect and witness interviews and other general legal advice.

Some of these cases have multiple crime scenes, Levine said, requiring several prosecutors to be on hand at any one time.

Cases currently being prosecuted by CAPOS include:
  • The March 1 fatal shooting of Whittier Police Officer Keith Boyer and the wounding of Officer Patrick Hazell
  • The Oct. 5, 2016, shooting death of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Owen in Lancaster
  • The 2015 ambush shooting of Downey Police Officer Ricardo Galvez as he sat in his car near the police station
  • The fatal shooting of Pomona Police Officer Shaun Diamond in 2014
  • Separate fatal car crashes that killed Los Angeles Police Officers Roberto Sanchez and Christopher Cortijo in 2014

“This is a very intense job,” Levine said. “The level of commitment by the people who are selected to be in this unit is impressive. I don’t think there’s a more rewarding job in the office.”
Fraud Alert
  Significant Cases
Natural disasters bring out the best – and worst — in people. Most want to help, but scammers are quick to take advantage of people’s willingness to assist those affected by hurricanes and wildfires.

Read the Fraud Alert here .
  • A former Los Angeles County engineer was charged with bribery and conflict of interest. Read more about the allegations.

  • A man was sentenced to prison for the domestic violence killing of his ex-girlfriend in Pacoima. Learn more about the crime.

  • An Army reservist was convicted of sexually abusing a young girl and raping a woman in Glendora. Discover his sentence.
LEAD Pilot Program Aims to
 Reduce Recidivism
Three-hundred low-level, nonviolent offenders will have the chance to avoid jail and improve their lives under a program starting this month that includes the District Attorney’s Office.

In the pilot program, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and Long Beach police officers will identify offenders and offer them a chance to enroll for housing, addiction treatment and other services instead of being taken to court or jail. The program is called Los Angeles County Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD).

District Attorney Jackie Lacey has championed the use of effective diversion programs to improve public safety and break the cycle of recidivism in the justice system.

“LEAD is part of an ongoing effort to devote more resources to programs that change how the criminal justice system addresses low-level offenders with drug addiction and mental health issues,” District Attorney Lacey said. “We want previously tested programs that provide long-term solutions to reducing recidivism.”

The pilot program, funded by a $5.9 million grant from the California’s Board of State and Community Corrections, is based on a model used in Seattle.

In LEAD, eligible offenders are sent directly to case managers for housing assistance and other services.

A working group will meet biweekly to review cases and provide guidance to participants so they stay on track and out of the criminal justice system.

Deputy District Attorney Edwin Wakabayashi is the office’s point person for this program and observed how it works in Seattle.

He said it can take time before behavioral changes are made. The working groups he observed had detailed discussions on the progress or regression of individual participation, such as whether a participant continues to use drugs.

Unlike some court-based drug rehabilitation programs, participants do not graduate but continue with the program unless they are disqualified or choose to leave, Wakabayashi said.

The pilot program focuses on a five-mile corridor running from Artesia Boulevard to the 105 Freeway near the Los Angeles River and includes sections of North Long Beach, Lynwood and Compton.

Other participating agencies include the county Office of Diversion and Re-entry, the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office, the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, the Alternate Public Defender’s Office and other social service providers.
Did You Know...?
Some people believe the Hall of Justice is haunted. After all, it once housed the morgue. During renovations, construction workers said they heard the jangling keys of a phantom jailer. Others were rattled when windows shut tight the night before were found wide open in the morning. Even today, some think they have heard ghost sounds when alone in the building.
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office | (213) 974-3512 | info@da.lacounty.gov

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