Second of two parts.
By Albert Robles, Carson City Councilman and Board of Directors, Water Replenishment District, Division 5.
Re “Justice Should Be Blind, but in Los Angeles It Is Not”
[img]2890|right|Albert Robles||no_popup[/img]As I was saying yesterday, this year stands out for the number of politicians indicted, convicted, and/or sentenced in Los Angeles County.
The felony residency trials and convictions of state Sen. Rod Wright and former Los Angeles City Council member Richard Alarcon.
The next major scandal of the year is just as appalling, not for the conduct of the accused, rather for the blatant politicization of the judicial process.
Since 2000, County District Attorney Steve Cooley is the only prosecutor in the entire state who has charged, tried and convicted a handful of elected officials for “not living” in their respective jurisdiction. Coincidentally, none counted on the Republican Mr. Cooley as a friend. All were black or brown, ardent Democrats.
There are many examples of white elected officials throughout the state who do not live in their respective jurisdictions. They are not prosecuted? (See the Sacramento Bee for numerous examples that involve surveillance and review of utility bills.)
Yet, black and brown elected officials who are not friends of former D.A. Mr. Cooley, like Mr. Wright and Mr. Alarcon, are persecuted for not living in their respective jurisdictions.
This lack of consistency in the application of state law creates injustice, that feeds the perception that non-white elected officials are treated differently, that Lady Justice discriminates in Los Angeles County.
The two recent felonious prosecutions of Messrs. Wright and Alarcon are particularly egregious and hypocritical since the current District Attorney, Jackie Lacey, had a questionable residency issue herself.
Before Ms. Lacey was tapped by Mr. Cooley to be his personally chosen successor, she lived in another county. She wants us to believe her story that she left her family and beautiful home to “move” into an apartment by herself in Los Angeles County.
That she expects us to believe that this apartment really became her home, thus qualifying her as a resident in order to run for County District Attorney, is the height of hypocrisy.
Her residency claim, by order of magnitude, is less credible than the residency claims of Messrs. Wright and Alarcon. Both men at least owned property in their respective jurisdictions for many years prior to their elections. Ms. Lacey did not.
That does not matter. In Los Angeles County, if Lady Justice knows you, she will look the other way.
The recent charges and guilty pleas of two Water Board members
Now for the case against Water Board members Rob Katherman and Ron Smith, elected officials who serve on two separate water districts.
Their cases stem from the same facts and the same situation, involving the exact same people/witnesses. Inexplicably, one was handcuffed, taken into custody and held on $100,000 bail. The other was not arrested, released on his own recognizance. He walked with no bail.
This occurred in the same courthouse, before the same judge, at the hands of the exact same District Attorney.
Can you guess which one considered Mr. Cooley a friend and is white and which one is black and not a friend of Mr. Cooley? Correct.
At least Lady Justice in Los Angeles County is consistent, consistently corrupt.
Conclusion
Just because we have the first African-American President, the first African-American United States Attorney General, the first African-American California Attorney General and the first African-American District Attorney in Los Angeles County, “injustice anywhere, is still a threat to justice everywhere.” Lack of attention to the injustice here in Los Angeles County is deafening. Lady Justice is not blind. We should demand better.
“The greatest threat to an orderly government is the corrupt administration of justice.”
The Hews Media Group may be contacted at sales@cerritosnews.net
