| May 10, 2018 |
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Volume 6 Issue 14 |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Joins Irvine Children’s Fund in Supporting the Irvine Junior Games |
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Supervisor Spitzer with Marcy Brown at the Irvine Junior Games at Irvine High School. |
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Supervisor Spitzer and a local Scout Troop prepare for the Parade of Athletes on Sunday, May 6. |
Supervisor Spitzer was pleased to be a part of the Irvine Junior Games, the annual track and field event that serves as a key fundraising effort for the Irvine Children’s Fund to provide scholarships for before- and after-school child care to low-income working families in the school district. Supervisor Spitzer presented a proclamation to Marcy Brown, member of the ICF Board of Directors, for the ICF's efforts.
“The Irvine Children’s Fund is working to ensure every child in Irvine Unified is given safe and reliable before and after school care,” Supervisor Spitzer said to the crowd at Irvine High School, “Every parent deserves to the peace of mind that comes from knowing their child is safe.”
The 31st Annual Irvine Junior Games welcomed over 1,200 young athletes from 32 local elementary and middle schools, who competed in track and field events. An Expo was held Saturday for athletes to check-in and pick up their T-shirts.
The Irvine Junior Games Committee works year round to plan for this event. A big thanks to all of the volunteers and sponsors who make everything possible.
More information is available at: www.irvinejuniorgames.org
Great to see Superintendent Terry Walker, Ira Glasky, Lauren Brooks, Michael Means, Kevin Trussell, and Irvine Mayor Don Wagner. Thanks also to Hoag Hospital for their support of this event! |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Asks U.S. Attorney General to Intervene in Light of New Victim Lawsuit |
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Dear Honorable Mr. Attorney General,
As the Third District Supervisor on the Board of Supervisors in Orange County, CA, I am respectfully writing to renew my request for the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene immediately into the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to stop the rampant disregard for the law by our elected District Attorney (DA) which has been eroding public confidence in our judicial system for decades, due to the disclosure of a new lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and heavyweight firm Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP against the District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
In May 2017, I wrote your office describing the emerging revelations of scandal from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office under the leadership of DA Tony Rackauckas. The ACLU lawsuit alleges the DA and Sheriff’s Department have for three decades operated a secret jailhouse informant program to interrogate criminal defendants in violation of their right to an attorney, often using threats of violence to obtain confessions, while rewarding informants with monetary payments or reduced sentences in exchange for unlawfully collecting the confessions.
In August 2017, due to mishandling by the DA’s office and deepening evidence of the department’s illegal use of jailhouse snitches to obtain confessions from defendants already assigned a lawyer, Judge Thomas Goethals removed the possibility of prosecutors pursuing the death penalty against Scott Evans Dekraai, the worst mass murderer in Orange County history. In addition, the District Attorney’s office was taken off the case. The DA’s involvement in the nationally-recognized “Snitch Scandal” has since led to reduced sentences, retrials, or dismissed cases in multiple other criminal cases in Orange County.
The DA and Sheriff’s Department have repeatedly denied the existence of what the California Court of Appeal called in 2016 a “grave and systemic” threat to the justice system. The two departments have worked in conjunction to suppress evidence of the snitch program. In several cases, Sheriff’s deputies have asserted their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination rather than answer to inconsistencies in their prior statements that were made in an effort to conceal the program. Sheriff Hutchens has attempted to deemphasize the extent of the program, calling it the work of a few “rogue deputies.” Mr. Rackauckas shockingly accused Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals of personal bias against him in his decision to remove the District Attorney’s office from prosecuting the Dekraai case, and called the claims of the Snitch Scandal “a very serious exaggeration.” Judge Goethals, who has since been appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, ruled the defendant could not receive further proceedings due to the DA’s failure to follow the law. With respect to Judge Goethals, Rackauckas alleged Judge Goethals retaliated because the District Attorney would not hire his son as a Deputy District Attorney and firmly implied Judges on the Court of Appeal all are “social friends.”
The integrity of the criminal justice system in Orange County is in jeopardy. I respectfully request the Department of Justice intervene by expanding the current Department of Justice Investigation into these latest allegations of corruption and documented misconduct as alleged by the ACLU, and to take control of the Orange County District Attorney’s office by consent decree of mediation assistance.
Your department can assist in restoring the public’s faith by leading mediation in the ACLU lawsuit to reach a resolution on the Snitch Scandal. It is imperative a resolution be reached as quickly as possible to prevent further erosion of the integrity of our County’s criminal justice system.
Sincerely,
Todd Spitzer, Third District Supervisor
Orange County Board of Supervisors, CA
View online: http://www.ocgov.com/civicax/inc/blobfetch.aspx?BlobID=75070 |
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| OC’s Anti-Trafficking Program Spearheaded by Spitzer, Judge Maria Hernandez and County’s Social Services Wins National and Local Awards |
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Supervisor Spitzer at the Be The One Campaign launch in May 2017. Courtesy of the Orange County Register. |
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ORANGE COUNTY, CA – In response to an explosion of sex trafficking crimes across the nation, Supervisor Todd Spitzer along with other county officials have won two prestigious awards for a program geared to fight this crime.
“Be The One,” is an extensive campaign that educates the public on the warning signs of sex trafficking and encourages victims to come forward, was honored by the National Association of Counties. This comes on the heels of an award from the Association of California Cities – Orange County for the same program.
Spitzer and Superior Court Judge Maria Hernandez are co-chairs of the OC Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Committee (CSEC), which paved the way for BT1 in Orange County and a 2017 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. The Dept. of Social Services is also a partner.
“My No. 1 platform as a county Supervisor is public safety – if we don’t have a safe place to live, work or go to school then how can we have quality of life?” Spitzer said. “Criminals should not be allowed to operate in the shadows preying on our children. We need victims to come forward and help us prosecute these monsters.”
The program was honored Friday at the seventh annual ACCOC Golden Hubs of Innovation Awards, which showcases groundbreaking initiatives. It won in the Community Outreach category for raising awareness and/or solving a problem in the most transparent manner possible.
Sex trafficking is a particularly heinous crime, Spitzer said, because it often involves very young children who have been abused or lived in foster care and therefore they don’t trust the system to help them.
The grant gave the funds to OCTA and CSEC so that campaign messages could be placed on buses across the county.
The National Association of Counties gave BT1 the 2018 Achievement Award in the category of Civic Education and Public Information. The county has been invited to the NACo Achievement Awards Luncheon on July 15 at its annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jurisdictions in other states have inquired about utilizing BT1 as well. Ultimately, the goal would be to spread child sex trafficking information across the nation.
“This is a huge honor, but the real winners here are the victims who can be pulled out of a horrific cycle of violence,” Spitzer said. |
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Orange County Backs Pro-Victim Ballot Measure:
‘Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018’ |
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ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Shawn Nelson called on fellow Orange County board members today to back a ballot measure seeking to reinstate tough crime laws that have been eroded by recent legislation pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown and Bay Area legislators.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously backed a resolution today at their regular meeting that shows the county supports the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018. Spitzer and Nelson are calling on the remaining counties statewide to back the measure as well.
“California voters have shown over the decades that they overwhelmingly support tough laws against violent felons and serial criminals,” Spitzer said. “What we have now is a shell of our former laws, pushed through by anti-victim advocates in Sacramento. Look at how DNA helped solve the Golden State Killer case. The way the law is written now, a host of criminals aren’t required to give DNA samples. California now has 450 violent crimes that have gone unsolved due to lack of DNA collection.”
Nelson said, “The weakening of our sentencing laws at the state level was intended to solve the problem of jail overcrowding but lacked a commensurate plan or approach to reintegrate low grade offenders into society to break the repeat offender cycles.”
Spitzer, who is a former reserve police officer and Assistant District Attorney, said he has seen first-hand how forensic evidence from lower level crimes have helped convict criminals in subsequent years as their violence intensifies.
The Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act would reinstate DNA collection for theft and drug convicts. It would also require incarceration for early-release prisoners who benefitted from a reclassification of certain crimes as “non-violent” and go on to violate terms of their probation.
For example, sex trafficking of children, rape of an unconscious person and felony assault with a deadly weapon are now considered non-violent offenses.
Between 2014 and 2016, California had the second highest increase in theft and property crimes in the United States, while most states have seen a steady decline. According to the California Department of Justice, the value of property stolen in 2015 was $2.5 billion with an increase of 13 percent since 2014, the largest single-year increase in at least 10 years.
Since 2014, California has had a larger increase in violent crime than the rest of the United States. Since 2013, violent crime in Los Angeles has increased 69 percent.
If Orange County supports the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act, it would be the largest government entity to do so. The measure has the backing of numerous smaller cities and the counties of Humbolt and Fresno, along with law enforcement organizations like the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and California Peace Officers’ Association.
Learn more about the “Reducing Crime Keeping California Safe Act of 2018” here: https://keepcalsafe.org/index.html. |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Provides Update on Tourism’s Impact on OC Economy |
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Supervisor Todd Spitzer addresses the OC Visitors Association Annual Conference. |
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Supervisor Spitzer provided an update on the role of tourism in Orange County’s economy at the Orange County Visitors Association Annual Conference on Monday, May 7.
While Orange County started out as a bedroom community to Los Angeles, it has grown into a coveted place to live nationwide and a top tourist destination around the world. Orange County has 177,000 tourism-related jobs, including 29,000 with Disneyland, the largest employer in the county.
Tourism had been a great benefit to Orange County, with foreign and domestic travelers spending $12.5 billion a year. Last year, 49 million visitors came here, of which 91 percent were domestic travelers, and while foreign visitors account for only 9 percent, they spend 20 percent of the tourism total.
Supervisor Spitzer filled in for Chairman Andrew Do, who was unavailable. |
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| Tele-Town Hall on Homelessness |
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The County of Orange moved over 700 homeless individuals from unsafe conditions on the Santa Ana River Trail earlier this year. |
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Supervisor Todd Spitzer held his most recent Tele-Town Hall on Wednesday, May 2 to evaluate and discuss the role of Orange County’s 34 cities in addressing the homeless crisis.
The Town Hall featured an outstanding panel of guests including Heather Stratman, CEO of the Association of CA Cities-Orange County; Paul Leon, CEO of the Illumination Foundation; Leon Page, County Counsel; and the County’s Director of Care Coordination, Susan Price.
The Tele-Town Hall is a unique opportunity for residents of the Third District to participate in discussion on topics affecting Orange County. The Town Hall is part of Supervisor Spitzer’s efforts to promote transparency in government and education of community issues. Each Tele-Town Hall is announcement on Supervisor Spitzer’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. |
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| OC Human Relations Awards |
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(L to R): Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel, former OC Human Relations Commissioner Bill Wood, and Anaheim Police Chief Julian Harvey. |
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Supervisor Spitzer presented the Community Police Award to three Tustin Police Department officers; Officers Robert Nelson, John Hedges, and Jorge Sanchez. |
Supervisor Spitzer had the honor of presenting the Community Policing Award to Tustin Police Department Officers Robert Nelson, John Hedges and Jorge Sanchez, who oversee a unique school counseling program that encourages students to talk openly and honestly with officers, at the OC Human Relations Awards. Their counseling program helps the students see police as non-threatening and actually an asset to their lives. |
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Roadwork: Orange Park Acres
Monday, April 23—Monday, June 4 |
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| 13th Annual Silverado Chili Cook-Off and Hoedown: Saturday, May 12 |
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| Orange County Sheriff’s Department Citizens’ Academy |
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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, May 19, 11:00 am – 12:00 am
East Anaheim Branch Library, 8201 East Santa Ana Canyon Road
Preschool Storytime
Friday, May 25, 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Anaheim Canyon Hills, 400 Scout Trail
Irvine
Orange County Great Park Farmers Market
Sunday, May 13, 10:00 am — 2:00 pm
Orange County Great Park, 6950 Marine Way
Memorial Day Ceremony 2018
Monday, May 28, 10:00 am
Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, 4 Civic Center Plaza
Orange
Mother’s Day Blooms
Saturday, May 12, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Main Library Community Room, 407 E. Chapman Ave.
Monday Mysteries Book Club
Monday, May 21, 2:00 am — 3:00 am
Main Library Community Room, 407 E. Chapman Ave.
Silverado
Family Drop-In Crafts
Saturday, May 19, 11:00 am — 2:00 pm
Library of the Canyons, 7531 East Santiago Canyon Rd.
Tustin
Farmer’s Market
Wednesday, May 14, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
El Camino Real & W. 3rd St.
Family Sunset Storytime
Wednesday, May 16, 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Tustin Library, 345 E. Main Street
Villa Park
Music and Movement Storytime
Thursday, May 17, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
Villa Park Library, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Yorba Linda
Mother’s Day Brunch at the Nixon Library
Sunday, May 13, 9:30 am and 12:00 pm
Richard Nixon Library and Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Star Wars Day
Thursday, May 19, 10:00 am — 1:00 pm
Yorba Linda Public Library, 18181 Imperial Highway
For questions or comments regarding Spitzer’s E-Newsletter
please contact the Supervisor's office staff at: (714) 834-3330 or Montana.Sudul@ocgov.com
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