Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/tony-rackauckas/)
Voters sent mixed messages to Orange County’s scandal-scarred law enforcement agencies Tuesday, with incumbent District Attorney Tony Rackauckas scraping by with a 4 percent lead and a more decisive margin for Undersheriff Donald Barnes, who ended election night more than 20 points ahead in his race to become Sheriff.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas will face county Supervisor Todd Spitzer in the November general election, with Rackauckas ending election night with a 4.2 percent lead over his competitor.
The State Bar of California has ended a suspension for Lenore Albert-Sheridan, a lawyer running for District Attorney.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas may face his strongest election challenge in 20 years as his well-financed former protégé, County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, could block Rackauckas from winning re-election in the June 5 primary and instead force a run-off in November.
The County of Orange will defend the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Department from a lawsuit over the alleged misuse of jailhouse informants, after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday for the county’s in-house attorneys to defend the lawsuit.
A joint task force between the Orange County District Attorney’s office and federal law enforcement agencies aimed at cracking down on local political corruption fell apart last year, after years of festering distrust between local and federal officials, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times.
“I think it’s improper for us to talk about, really, that subject matter now,” said supervisors’ Chairman Andrew Do.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Craig Griffin ruled Lenore Albert-Sheridan will remain on the ballot for the June 5 primary election.
The lawsuit claims the District Attorney and Sheriff continue to use informants illegally as part of a long-standing snitch program, despite official claims that the illegal use of informants is the work of a few rogue deputies.
Orange County’s top law enforcement jobs could be hotly contested races this year as four candidates, including District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, are running for DA and three contenders want to replace Sandra Hutchens as Sheriff.