The law, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown this week, imposes tougher punishment on prosecutors who intentionally withhold evidence in criminal cases. It was prompted by revelations that Orange County prosecutors violated the constitutional rights of defendants by keeping secret evidence gleaned from jailhouse informants.
Tag: Jailhouse Snitch Scandal
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
New York Times Calls for Federal Investigation of OC District Attorney’s Office
The Times’ editorial board did not pull any punches, describing the actions of prosecutors as “blatant and systematic misconduct” and calling on the U.S. Justice Department to launch an investigation.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
Prosecutor Accused of False Testimony Resigns
Erik S. Petersen, a lead prosecutor in major gang cases, was accused of false testimony during a hearing in the Scott Evans Dekraai case.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Wozniak Lawyer Chronicles 30 Years of Alleged Abuses by Local Law Enforcement
In a mammoth motion, the public defender for Daniel Patrick Wozniak, the Costa Mesa man accused of a 2010 double murder, argues that his client shouldn’t face the death penalty because his constitutional rights have been violated by county law enforcement.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
OC Register: Feds Monitoring Jailhouse Informant Scandal
Orange County’s jailhouse informant scandal is drawing the eyes of civil rights attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Orange County Register reported Thursday.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
County Counsel’s Office Knew About Secret Inmate Tracking System
In the latest revelation stemming from the jailhouse informants scandal, a court transcript shows that the Orange County Counsel’s office has known for at least a decade about “TRED,” a secret system that tracks the location of jail inmates and allowed sheriff’s deputies to strategically place informants.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
DA Announces Committee to Examine Prosecutorial Misconduct
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has empaneled a committee of five independent attorneys to examine his office’s controversial, and at-times, illegal use of jailhouse informants.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: What’s Next After Demise of Independent Police Review in OC?
Santana argues the defunding of the county Sheriff’s Office of Independent Review has been a long time coming. Question is what comes next?
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, Top Stories
Audit: DA Deficient in Training and Oversight of Major Cases
A review, sparked by revelations of prosecutorial misconduct involving a jailhouse informants system, found the office is significantly behind other local counties in the level of training provided to prosecutors.
Posted inCosta Mesa, Countywide, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
Public Defender Alleges Improprieties by Sheriff’s Deputies, TV Producers
Attorneys for admitted double murderer Daniel Patrick Wozniak say deputies and producers of MSNBC show violated his rights.
