October 2019
Volume 4, Issue 10
Dear Friends:
My deputy district attorneys have worked with sheriff’s detectives and federal prosecutors for the past several months to build criminal cases that would hold suspected predator Edward Buck accountable for the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean.
Spotlight:
Mental Health Awareness Training Expanded
An ambitious effort to train police officers to recognize and de-escalate incidents involving people in a mental health crisis is expanding to other first responders.

In recent months, district attorney investigators, college police officers, probation personnel and park rangers have joined the ranks of first responders who have completed the two-day training presented by the District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Institute.

The office is in the midst of training firefighters as well.

The free "Mental Health Awareness: Crisis Intervention Tactics for First Responders" class informs both sworn officers and civilian employees on how to resolve such encounters calmly, which helps protect the lives of the individual and the responding personnel.

To date, the District Attorney’s Office has trained nearly 1,700 public safety professionals on recognizing and de-escalating incidents involving individuals in a mental health crisis. That includes the nearly 300 sworn personnel in the office’s Bureau of Investigation.

“We have accomplished a lot since we started in 2016, and we have learned that this kind of training is absolutely in demand,” said Sandy Jo MacArthur, the office’s mental health training coordinator.

Representatives from nearly every police agency in the county have completed the training, the first of its kind in California. The training was certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Training and Standards (POST) and has received honors from the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission and the National Association of Counties.

The training is part of District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s efforts to seek a more just, humane and effective criminal justice system for people living with a mental illness.

The class uses role-playing to demonstrate ways to decrease tensions, instructs participants about mental illness symptoms and introduces them to individuals and family members who describe living with mental illness.
Fraud Alert
  Significant Cases
The costs of working from the comfort of your own home may be higher than you know.

Click  here  to read the Fraud Alert and view the video.
  • A 33-year-old man is accused of beating up his girlfriend on multiple occasions. Learn how much time he could spend behind bars.

  • An insurance agent was ordered to pay back a 93-year-old woman after defrauding her. Read to find out how the man stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his client.

  • A pickup truck driver hit and killed a 74-year-old woman crossing the street. Find out the consequences he faces for fleeing the scene. 
Japanese Delegation Visits LADA
Representatives from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government met with District Attorney Jackie Lacey during a September visit to Los Angeles.
New Laws Advance Criminal Justice System
A new law, sponsored by the District Attorney’s Office, will make it easier for people under criminal justice supervision to receive mental health treatment.

Senate Bill 389 allows people who are subject to probation, parole, pre- and post-sentencing diversion and other forms of supervision to receive community-based treatment funded by the Mental Health Services Act, which was approved by California voters in 2004.

“This legislation advances the development of a fair and equitable justice system,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. “Members of our community whose mental illness has led them to the wrong side of the law will now have access to the treatment they need. This will help us break the cycle of incarceration and allow these individuals to become productive members of society.”

Sen. Robert Hertzberg authored the bill, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 30.

Another bill, sponsored by the office, would establish procedures for requesting and granting continuances in civil trial proceedings to determine whether sexually violent predators should be released from state custody after serving their criminal sentence.

The law, authored by Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, is intended to facilitate a speedy trial and avoid the forced release of a predator because of court delays.

The District Attorney’s Office takes a proactive role in improving the criminal justice system, each year sponsoring, supporting and opposing legislation.
Did You Know...?
The District Attorney’s Office filed more than 91,000 misdemeanor cases in 2018 in the unincor-porated areas of Los Angeles County and all municipalities except Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena and the seven other cities with local prosecutors. The office prosecutes more than half of all misdemeanor cases filed in Los Angeles County each year.
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office | (213) 974-3512 | info@da.lacounty.gov

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