First of two parts
By Albert Robles, Carson City Councilman and Board of Directors, Water Replenishment District, Division 5
[img]2890|right|Albert Robles||no_popup[/img]This year stands out for the number of politicians indicted, convicted, and/or sentenced in Los Angeles County.
On Oct. 31, the most recent “victim,” state Sen. Rod Wright was scheduled to turn himself in to begin his sentence. While it never is politically smart to defend criminals, especially corrupt politicians, “injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The current administration of justice in Los Angeles County, or rather lack, demands attention.
This year’s corruption scandals include (i) the Bell Scandal, (ii) the felony residency trials and convictions of Sen. Wright and former Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcon, and (iii) the recent charges and guilty plea of two elected Water Board members for misappropriation of public funds – Ron Smith and Rob Katherman.
While we should celebrate the prosecution of political corruption, law-abiding citizens should be outraged at the politicization and double standard. It is unacceptable that in 2014 Los Angeles County, justice is meted out based on a who-you-know or who-you-are basis. Lady Justice should not peek or wink from under her blindfold.
The Bell Scandal
This is the most notorious political scandal in a generation. Or as County District Attorney Steve Cooley referred to it at the time, “corruption on steroids.” Five Council members were indicted, tried and convicted, along with the City Manager and Assistant City Manager for excessive and illegal compensation.
The first hint that Lady Justice was not blind came when the Bell Chief of Police, a “good friend” of Mr. Cooley, was the only individual who profited from the excessive and illegal city salary and was not charged. That the Bell Chief of Police also defrauded the state retirement system did not matter either.
To this day, legal experts wonder out loud how this was possible. But as repeatedly reported by the Los Angeles Times and others, the difference between the Bell Chief of Police and the others charged in this scandal was the fact that the Bell Chief and Mr. Cooley were “good friends.”
Even worse, the Bell Council member who initially reported the corruption to the County District Attorney’s Office was indicted, tried and convicted. But the main law enforcement officer in the City of Bell, the person who took an oath to defend the law, was not only never charged, but he did not even cooperate!
Moreover, of the five Bell Council members charged with the same crime, convicted on the same facts, and tried in the same courtroom at the same time before the same judge, all received basically the same sentence – years in state prison.
One Council member, however, received the significantly reduced sentence of six months home detention. In other words, only one of the Bell Council members who was charged, tried and convicted was not sentenced to state prison.
The reduced sentence was not for the Council member referenced above who initially reported the corruption to the County District Attorney’s Office and resigned from being the Bell Council before the criminal charges were filed.
The Council member who received the lightest sentence had served the longest, was known throughout the community as the go-to guy to get things done in the City of Bell, and was known throughout the southeast area of the County as the most politically corrupt of all the Bell Council members, George Cole.
Just like the white Chief of Police, Mr. Cole was the only white guy on the Bell City Council. He repeatedly bragged about his good relationship with County D. A. Cooley whom he endorsed over the years. Lady Justice should not be allowed to wink at her friends.
(To be continued)
The Hews Media Group may be contacted at sales@cerritosnews.net
