Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/orange-county-superior-court/)
The policy change comes after a judge found the county failed to cite a valid legal justification to destroy records before two years. ACLU lawyers say the new policy goes against the court ruling, while county officials say it’s entirely legal.
A new policy, up for approval Tuesday, comes on the heels of a court ruling and order this summer tossing out the county’s previous reason for destroying records before two years.
Sheriff officials conduct the official background investigations as part of the selection process for grand jurors who later investigate the department. The reviews include sheriff officials reporting to the court whether each applicant appears “competent to serve as a Grand Juror.”
A proposed June ballot measure on Santa Ana district elections appeared less likely Monday to make it to the ballot, with Mayor Miguel Pulido increasing his legal action against it and little time left for the City Council members who support the measure to ask the courts to put it on the ballot.
It was unclear Friday whether the measure will go before voters in June. The ruling left a potential door open for further round of legal arguments by city officials and the mayor.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Glass has upheld a decision by the county’s retirement board to reduce the pension of Orange County Public Works executive Carlos Bustamante, following Bustamante’s criminal convictions for sexually assaulting women who worked for him at the county.
A deputy district attorney and former judicial candidate, Karen Schatzle, has filed a federal lawsuit against the County of Orange and the District Attorney’s office alleging DA Tony Rackauckas retaliated against her and threatened her career because she ran against a judge he had endorsed.
Javed “Joey” Asefi was found guilty by a federal jury last week of participating in five-year racketeering scheme that paid $250,000 to an Orange County Superior Court clerk in exchange for resolving more than a thousand criminal cases and traffic violations without the knowledge of prosecutors and judges.
LeAnne Wunsch, who has served the residents of Orange County since 1991 beginning her career as a file clerk, calls on court administrators to treat her and her colleagues fairly in the workplace.
County residents are showing up to courtrooms to watch criminal case hearings and keep an eye out for misconduct, like prosecutors failing to hand over evidence that could help defendants.