| May 31, 2017 |
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Volume 5 Issue 11 |
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| Supervisor Todd Spitzer Requests U.S. Attorney General Takeover: Orange County District Attorney is Jeopardizing Our Legal System |
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(Santa Ana, CA) – Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Third District, is requesting U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take emergency action by consent decree over the Orange County District Attorney’s office.
“Continuing revelations of scandal emerging from the office under D.A. Tony Rackauckas is now beyond critical proportions,” Supervisor Spitzer wrote to Attorney General Sessions. “I am respectfully requesting that you expand the current Department of Justice investigation into new allegations of corruption and documented misconduct. As it is within your power to do so, I urge you to take control of the OCDA office by consent decree.”
Supervisor Spitzer, a former Assistant District Attorney, is taking this action as an individual, not on behalf of the Board of Supervisors or the County, noting the Board is not a law enforcement entity and therefore the recent allegations which now include on-going acts of felonious conduct must be addressed by a law enforcement agency.
Already deemed a ‘rudderless ship’ by the D.A.’s own hand-picked evaluation panel, Rackauckas’ office has been rebuked by the Orange County Grand Jury and remains under investigation by the California State Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Last year, the OCDA was removed from prosecuting the penalty phase of the worst mass-murder case in Orange County history. Judge Thomas Goethals ruled the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense provided by a jailhouse snitch in the penalty phase of the felony proceeding already decided by a guilty plea. A deeper probe revealed a snitch scandal dating back at least four years, resulting in the vacating or reduction of six murder convictions.
Since the Department of Justice opened an investigation in to the notorious Orange County snitch scandal last December, further damning evidence of potential criminal actions within OCDA operations under Rackauckas have come to light:
- A liability claim was filed by the D.A.’s former Chief Investigator after he was relieved of duty in April, 2017. The action filed by former lead investigator Craig Hunter alleges D.A. interference with political corruption investigations and improper campaign activities.
- Subsequently, two more former OCDA investigators came forward with liability claims alleging politically motivated cover-ups and withholding evidence involving the D.A. and ten OCDA supervisors.
- In April 2017, it was revealed Rackauckas hired an unauthorized private defense attorney to represent a Deputy District Attorney in State Bar disciplinary proceedings. She is accused of withholding exculpatory evidence in a child abuse case.
- A recent revelation in a Superior Court ruling on May 17, 2017 that a Deputy District Attorney under Rackauckas displayed “serious misconduct” by failing to reveal exculpatory evidence in a 2006 first-degree murder case resulting in conviction.
The high-profile scandal continues to draw scrutiny from the national press for more than three years. CBS News’ 60 Minutes aired a segment on, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in which Tony Rackauckas contradicted himself and the members of a blue ribbon panel he convened to investigate his office.
When confronted by the interviewer with his own IPPEC report describing the office as, “a must win mentality”, “a rudderless ship” and “a failure of leadership”, the D.A. dismissed the written report by saying the findings were not what members of the blue ribbon panel told him privately. Tony Rackauckas continues to argue that everybody investigating the wrongdoings in his office are not trustworthy. Tony Rackauckas cannot be trusted.
“The District Attorney’s actions have left the County, the courts, the judicial system, and the public no other course of action,” Supervisor Spitzer continued. “I am respectfully requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice expand the current investigation and employ all resources to restore order immediately and halt the continuing decay within our County judicial system.”
A copy of Supervisor Spitzer’s letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent on May 22, 2017 can be found here. |
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| Memorial Day Ceremonies |
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Supervisor Spitzer led the Pledge of Allegiance at Memorial Day Ceremonies at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana on Monday, May 29, 2017 |
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Supervisor Spitzer with OC Veteran David Kendrick who served in Viet Nam |
Supervisor Todd Spitzer had the honor of speaking and leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Memorial Day Ceremony at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana on Monday, May 29. The 25th Annual Fairhaven Ceremony was themed “From Sea to Shining Sea” and featured musical performances by Echo Buglers, OC Concert Band and OC Sound, reading of letters from fallen service members to their families, a flyover by vintage World War II T-6 Texans and a memorial white dove release in tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the service of our Country. |
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| Orange County Fallen Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony |
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Supervisor Spitzer attended the OC Fallen Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Tustin on Thursday, May 25, 2017 with representatives of every law enforcement agency serving in Orange County |
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Supervisor Spitzer and Chair Michelle Steel present a proclamation on behalf of the Board of Supervisors at the OC Fallen Peace Officers’ Memorial |
Supervisor Spitzer was honored to pay tribute at the annual Orange County Fallen Peace Officers Memorial on Thursday May 25th at the OC Sheriff’s training center in Tustin. Supervisor Spitzer joined Chair Michelle Steel in presenting a proclamation on behalf of the OC Board of Supervisors.
The tribute featured a procession of all law enforcement agencies represented in Orange County including special equestrian, motorcycle and pipe and drum corps units. A rider-less horse and a missing-man helicopter formation flyover were also part of the program.
The names of all 53 OC law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty since 1912 were read aloud, with each represented by a member of the agency in which they served. All names of the fallen are enshrined on the memorial wall. Fortunately, for the fourth straight year, no new names were added to the wall. The last officer to give his life in the line of duty in OC was Laguna Beach Police Officer Jon S. Coutchie in September, 2013. |
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| Assemblyman Steven Choi Opens District Office in Irvine |
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L-R, Supervisor Spitzer’s Chief of Staff Melanie Eustice, Assemblyman Steven Choi, 68th Assembly District and Ronnetta Johnson, Executive Director of CSP Victim Assistance Programs |
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| Congratulations to freshman Assemblyman Steven Choi on the opening of his new 68th Assembly District office in Irvine. Supervisor Spitzer was represented by Chief of Staff Melanie Eustice at the open house event on Thursday, May 25th. Assemblyman Choi’s local 68th District Office is located at 3240 El Camino Real, Suite 110, Irvine, 92602. |
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| O.C. Drowning Prevention Task Force to Hold Summer Kickoff Media Event |
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| OC Drowning Prevention Task Force 2017 |
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Supervisor Spitzer with District Three interns Christina Brown and Landon Eustice at the OC Drowning Prevention booth at the Doheny Blues Festival on May 21, 2017 |
Supervisor Todd Spitzer is serving as Public Safety Outreach Committee Chairman for the OC Drowning Prevention Task Force in 2017.
Drowning is 100 percent preventable. Do your part and get a water watcher tag. Know who's assigned to watch the water. Drowning accounts for half of all deaths of children under 4 in OC and nearly half of all drowning victims are adults over 50. Don't swim alone and always watch your children in the water. |
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General Public to Learn Skills to Save a Life
“Hands Only” CPR Trainings Conducted Across Orange County |
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| Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off |
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| The 2017 Bat Kid Poster Contest is Here! |
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2017 Eco Challenge Poster Contest Deadline Nears: Friday, June 30, 2017 |
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2016 Third District contest winner, Ellia Chai, with Supervisor Spitzer at the on-field ceremony in Angel Stadium |
There is still time to enter the 2017 Eco Challenge Poster Contest. OC Waste & Recycling is teaming up with Angels Baseball again to inspire environmental stewardship in youth between the ages of 8 and 14.
The focus of this year’s contest is organics recycling – reducing the amount of food waste and green waste sent to landfills from our homes, schools and communities. Contestants create original art that illustrates how to reduce and recycle green waste and food waste. One winner from the Third District will win a Bat Kid Experience, including a visit to the dugout to meet players, tickets to a game, a Bat Kid Jersey and an on-field introduction.
Orange County faces a new recycling challenge: how to reduce and recycle green waste and food waste. Contestants will show us their vision for meeting this new challenge.
Full rules and eligibility details are available at OC Bat Kids. |
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| Join the City of Orange Recreation Staff |
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| JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT ISSUES CALL FOR ARTISTS |
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John Wayne Airport (JWA) has issued a call for Orange County-related visual artists to apply for exhibition slots in JWA's Community Focus Space (CFS) program’s exhibition calendar, beginning in October of 2018.
Each exhibition is approximately 30 days in duration and is presented by JWA at no cost to the artist. CFS exhibitions are located prior to the security checkpoints and adjacent to Baggage Carousels 1 and 4 in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal, and are accessible to passengers as well as the general public.
To qualify for consideration, artists must have been born, raised or educated in Orange County; or currently live, work or own property in Orange County; and live in any of the following counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara or Ventura.
Artist applications must be received by John Wayne Airport no later than 4:00 p.m. on July 21, 2017. Artist application instructions and guidelines may be found at www.ocair.com/terminal/artexhibits/. Artists approved through this review process will be notified by the end of October 2017.
For additional information about the Community Focus Space program or this Call for Artists, please contact Jeffrey Frisch, John Wayne Airport Arts Program Coordinator at Jfrisch@ocair.com. |
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| Pet of the Week |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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| Events Around the District |
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Anaheim
Family Storytime
Saturday, June 3, 11:00 AM
East Anaheim Branch Library
8201 East Santa Ana Canyon Road
Preschool Storytime at Canyon Hills
Tuesday, June 6, 11:00 AM
400 Scout Trail, Anaheim Canyon Hills Meeting Room
Irvine
23rd Annual Studio Arts Festival
Saturday, June 3, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Irvine Fine Arts Center – Heritage Community Park
14321 Yale Ave
11th Annual Super Pet Adoption
Sunday June 4, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Irvine Animal Care Center
6443 Oak Canyon Road
Certified Farmers Market
Sunday, June 4, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Orange County Great Park, 6950 Marine Way
Silverado
Summer Concert Series – Salty Raisins
Saturday, June 17, 7:45 PM – 10:00 PM
Silverado Community Center & Fairgrounds, 27641 Silverado Canyon Rd.
Tustin
33rd Annual Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off
Sunday, June 4, 11:30 AM – 6PM
E. Main St. & W. Main St.
Farmer’s Market
Wednesday, June 7, 9:00 AM to 1 PM
El Camino Real & W. 3rd St.
Villa Park
Roly-Poly Storytime
Monday, June 5, 9:00 AM
Villa Park Library, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Preschool Storytime
Tuesday, June 6, 9:00 AM
Villa Park Library, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Yorba Linda
Tom Ricks lecture and book signing
Friday, June 2, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
For questions or comments regarding Spitzer’s E-Newsletter
please contact the Supervisor's office staff at: (714) 834-3330 or Matt.Morrison@ocgov.com
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