JACKIE LACEY COST TAXPAYERS MILLIONS

Dragnet L.A. can confirm that Los Angeles County taxpayers have foot the bill for millions of dollars spent on high priced lawyers and settlements defending the misconduct of Steve Cooley, and his anti labor hatchet woman, Jackie Lacey.

In a published opinion, Federal District Judge Otis D. Wright found Cooley and Lacey's anti labor tactics "striking and rampant." The Federal Court granted a preliminary injunction ordering Cooley and other county officials not to discipline or discriminate against prosecutors for belonging to the union which would remain in effect for the rest of Cooley’s tenure


Lacey has spent much of the past few weeks, responding to reports that she lied under oath when questioned during a hearing conducted by the Employee Relations Commission.

One longtime member of the downtown Justice community told the Dragnet, "This episode where Lacey lied under oath, disqualifies her as a serious candidate for District Attorney." She blamed it on "confusion" and "low blood sugar" on the day she was questioned. "What happens if she gets confused while determining the fate of an innocent defendant, who's been wrongly accused of a crime, such as Brian Banks who spent 5 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit?"

Lacey testified at a July 2009 hearing that she told a prosecutor who was considering joining the union’s bargaining team that “it was a bad idea” because Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley strongly disliked the union. She agreed that she also told the same prosecutor, a close friend of hers, that Cooley thought the union would be a disaster and that he didn’t like the union, according to a transcript from the hearing.

Six months later, Lacey testified at another hearing for the same dispute but said she never told the prosecutor that Cooley didn’t like the union or thought it would be a disaster.

Since this episode took place, the County taxpayers have had to shell out millions in settlements and legal fees to settle numerous lawsuits against Cooley and Lacey. An important taxpayer advocate observed, "At a time when public services are being cut, having to waste millions on this kind of conduct, when Cooley and Lacey should know better, is outrageous.  Can't wait to see them both leave the office."

Los Angeles County will pay $575,000 to settle part of a federal law suit claiming that Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and his managers waged an anti-union campaign, according to a settlement agreement filed in court. The settlement, which must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, would pay $125,000 to the prosecutors’ union and $450,000 to Deputy Dist. Atty. Marc Debbaudt, who a county employment commission found was transferred in retaliation for his union activity. After the preliminary federal injunction was issued,  D.A. Cooley announced he will retire next year at the end of his third term.

Matthew Monforton, an attorney representing the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys, hailed the settlement as a victory for the union and described Cooley’s conduct as “outrageous and illegal.”Earlier this year, the county’s Employee Relations Commission upheld the findings of a hearing officer who concluded that veteran prosecutors were transferred to less desirable assignments as a result of their union work.

LA County Board of Supervisors finally paid Marc Debbaut what was owed to him. Steve Ipsen, former President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, and Hyatt Seligman, current President of the ADDA will start their federal trial against Steve Cooley and his union busting actions in June. Jones Day will be defending Cooley and is expected to bill the county millions of dollars in billable hours. This trial is expected to come at a hefty price to the tax payers and prove Jackie Lacey and Steve Cooley violated federal law and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

D.A. RACE IN THE FINAL STRETCH

Here is our early handicap of the candidates based on what we know thus far:

CARMEN TRUTANICH (“Nooch”)
 

Is our early favorite. He’s raised by far the most money (approximately $1.5 million in 12 months), and has the most impressive list of endorsements.  He stumbled early with multiple hair-brained campaign goof-ups. But right now seems like the only candidate with enough fuel in his jets to get him over the finish line.  Seems to have broad support from Labor, Latinos and establishment types like California Governor Jerry Brown, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca.

Pluses: Healthy fundraising, high name recognition, nice guy, a true independent: Minuses: multiple hair-brained campaign goof-ups; signed a pledge in November 2008 to not seek higher office.

Endorsements: California Governor Jerry Brown, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, The Mexican American Bar Association PAC. SFV Congressman Brad Sherman Congressman John Garamendi, L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster; Hawthorne Mayor Dan Juarez, National Latino Peace Officers Association. California Narcotics Officers Association, Latin American Law Enforcement Association, State Senators Darrell Steinberg, Ted Lieu, Kevin De Leon, Ron Calderon,  Lou Correa, and Gil Cedillo; L.A. City Councilmen Dennis Zine, Mitch Englander, Tom LeBonge, Joe Busciano, Bill Rosendahl, and Jose Huizar, San Francisco D.A. George Gascon, Orange County Sheriff, Sandra Hutchens, former Laker Shaquille O’Neal,  Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto, Redondo Beach Police Officers Association, El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero, Lancaster Mayor R Rex Parris, former D.A. Candidate and Deputy District Attorney Mario Trujillo, Los Angeles Port Police Association, Los Angeles General Services Police Association, Law enforcement Association of Asian Pacifics.

What the buzz is saying: He’s the candidate to beat. Fund raising and endorsements continue to pour in.  Most insiders expect he’ll win, if not in June, then in November.

Yes it’s true:  Attends black churches every Sunday.

JACQUELYN LACEY  (“Jackie”)

Running to be the first black woman to become District Attorney of Los Angeles. Lacey should poll ahead of Alan Jackson, Danette Meyers and Bobby Grace. She has the most seniority of them all. She has the endorsement of Steve Cooley (which so far hasn’t seemed to help her much.), and the L.A. Times.

Pluses: Currently serves as Chief Deputy in the office; Cooley& LA Times endorsements;     

Minuses: Support for Lacey has been tepid at best. Little to no name recognition. Cost the County millions defending her and Cooley’s union busting efforts; Perjured herself in a Federal Civil case.  

No war chest to promote her impressive endorsements. Fund raising has been anemic lately. Has only raised approximately $425,000 in 17 months. Her allegiance to Republican Cooley seems to turn off Democrats, and doesn’t seem to be helping much with Republicans.  Moderate Republicans will vote for Trutanich; Hard right-wingers will vote for Jackson. Handful of Cooley Republican friends will vote for Lacey.  Will split African American vote with Danette Meyers and Bobby Grace. Labor expected to spend heavily against her for past Union Busting tactics.

Endorsements: Current D.A. Steve Cooley. Former L.A. Public Defender Mike Judge, L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks; SFV Cong. Howard Berman; Michele Beals Bagneris, City Attorney of Pasadena; Barry Brucker, Mayor of Beverly Hills; Charisse Bremond Weaver, President of the Brotherhood Crusade, L.A. Times, Daily News (split with Jackson), Long Beach Press Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, PORAC (split with Jackson).

What the buzz is saying: Cooley endorsement doesn’t seem to be helping her. Turns-off Democrats and a lot of her natural base. Labor, Latinos and Democrats supporting other candidates. Could make it into the run-off.  

Yes it’s true:  Actual residence is outside L.A. County. Was on Trutanich Transition Team.in 2009.

ALAN JAY JACKSON

So far has run a puzzling campaign; raised a respectable $500,000 in campaign funds in over 18 months, but has appeared to burn through most of it several months before the first votes are cast.

Pluses: Several high-profile convictions; the only staunch Republican in the race. 

Minuses:  Is running as a Pete Wilson-Newt Gingrich Republican in a County that’s only 24% registered Republican. Has come out against Labor Unions, Latinos, and other Democrats. Has burned through 90% of campaign funds months before the first vote is cast.

Endorsements: Former California Governor Pete Wilson; L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich; State Senator Ted Strickland; Congressman “Buck” McKeon”; Long Beach City Attorney Robert Shannon, Police Associations from the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Azuza, San Gabriel, Inglewood, and El Monte including retired Police Chiefs of El Monte, Conservative Radio Host Hugh Hewett

What the buzz is saying: Spent too much time and money attacking Trutanich and not enough raising his name ID.  Lacey will get more votes than him.  Will come in 3^rd.

Yes it’s true:  Recently married.

DANETTE MEYERS

Also running to be the first black woman to become District Attorney of Los Angeles.   Endorsements are tepid and fund raising is anemic. She beat out Jaquelyn Lacey for Democratic Party endorsements.

Pluses: Well-respected in the legal community. Former President of L.A. County Bar Association          

Minuses:  Little to no name recognition. Will split African American vote with Lacey and Bobby Grace. Anemic fundraising of $160,000 in over a year with very little left for the final two weeks of the primary campaign.

Endorsements:  Former L.A. County D.A. Gil Garcetti, Former Deputy D.A. John Lynch, Quincy Jones, Beverly Hills Police Officers Association; Stonewall Democratic Clubs, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood Democratic Clubs; Association of Deputy District Attorneys, National Woman Political Caucus, Culver City Democratic Club.

What the buzz is saying: Vendetta against Cooley and Lacey. Temperamental. Speaks her mind.  Might be looking to leverage her campaign to gain a promotion in the D.A’s office.  Has no chance.

Yes it’s true:  Fed-up with the Cooley-Lacey regime. Prosecuted Lindsay Lohan for necklace theft until case was kicked to Trutanich’s office.

BOBBY GRACE

Might be the most steady and consistent prosecutor in the race. Consistently gets convictions in high profile murder cases. Definitely has a bright future as a Prosecutor or in private practice.

Pluses: Nice guy. Good lawyer. Promising future.  Minuses:  Little to no name recognition. Will split African American vote with Lacey and Meyers. Raised less than $75,000 for campaign in over 17 months, which demonstrates anemic support.  Practically no campaign funds left.

Endorsements:  Rick Tuttle (former L.A. County Tax Assessor); Rita Walters, former L.A. City Councilwoman (9^th District), several prominent African American lawyers in private practice.

What the buzz is saying:  Won’t make it into the run-off.

Yes it’s true:  Has the most Facebook friends of any candidate.

JOHN BREAULT III

In every race there’s always one “joke” candidate. Think Pat Paulsen for President or Gary Coleman for California Governor. The beautiful thing about America is anyone with a filing fee and enough legitimate signatures can run for office.  John Breault III is that candidate in the 2012 primary for Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Pluses:  Blank slate. Deputy D.A. for 43 years. Public knows nothing about him.

Minuses:  No name ID. No funds to promote candidacy.

Endorsements:  None announced to date.

What the buzz is saying: 69 year old looney who’s about to reitre from the D.A’s office after 43 years. Probably wants to tell his grandchildren he once was on the ballot.

Yes it’s true:  Joined the office when Joe Busch was D.A

HAS DAVID BERGER'S BLOG OFFICIALLY SHIT THE BED???

What are you lookin' at?

Deputy District Attorney David Berger, a main henchman in the Steve Cooley-Jacquelyn Lacey smear machine, has officially "shit the bed."  Last week he posted several posts that were complete crap. We point this out to highlight that some blogs tell the truth, and some peddle complete fiction.

First, Berger posted some phony poll in the race for Los Angeles County D.A.  It was an "unofficial" poll supposedly conducted by an "unknown, unnamed, and unidentified group. " There was no data for sampling size, margin of error, methodology, or anything that a real poll would include. Berger simply invented the data. in order to disparage Lacey's competition in the D.A's race. The only fact Berger got right was that Lacey was losing the race behind Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, and Deputy District Attorneys Alan Jackson and Mario Trujillo.

Then, Berger claimed Deputy District Attorney Mario Trujillo was dropping out of the race for Los Angeles County D.A. because he was going to run for Los Angeles City Attorney.  Trujillo put out a statement saying "he was dropping out due to health considerations."

Berger ended the week with a totally fraudulent claim that FOX L.A's newsman Jeff Michaels ambushed Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich in a live televised interview last Friday afternoon. Jeff Michaels responded with a Twitter message that said "the interview wasn't an ambush." One examination of the  interview, which is available at http://www.myfoxla.com/  will show that Michaels asked topical questions and Trutanich tried to focus on the issues.

What's even more head scratching is that Berger seems to have aligned himself with David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsman, an admitted mentally ill blogger and candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles.

The lame stream media finds Berger has no credibility, and most reputable blogs won't go near him with a 10 foot poll. The only publication that references him is the Metropolitan News, and that's only because they're part of the Cooley-Lacey political smear operation. Just check out all their articles criticizing the ADDA (Association of Deputy District Attorneys), but nothing on all the lawsuits the County is paying for all of Cooley's & Lacey's union busting tactics.

It's one thing for an unemployed, mentally-ill, homeless chap to blog about various issues, it's quite another for a Deputy District Attorney who is an Officer of the Court, and a member of the State Bar of California to put out 100%  fabricated nonsense in an effort to spread disinformation and smear political opponents.

This may be another reason why change is needed at the highest levels of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.

L.A. TIMES WAKES UP!!!

The third estate has figured out Steve Cooley and his perjuring side-kick, Jacquelyn Lacey might be as sleazy as every other downtown politician. Today, the LA. Times reported that the D.A.'s office may have over-looked presenting some exculpatory evidence to the Grand Jury in the Richard Alarcon case. It appears when Cooley and his stooges are hell-bent on carrying out a political hit-job, they probably figure, why let the facts get in the way? Unfortunately, Judge Kathleen Kennedy saw it differently.

Our good friend, Betty Pleasant, who writes for The Wave newspapers, has picked up that Jacquelyn Lacey, the Chief Deputy D.A. under Cooley may be under investigation for conducting campaign like activities at the office.

Betty is eating the The Times lunch, covering an important story that the Old Hag on Spring Street refuses to touch.

Basically, Betty reported, "Sources inside the D.A.’s office have said that Sharon Matsumoto, the assistant D.A. in charge of administration, was conducting an investigation into the complaint that Chief Deputy D.A. Jacquelyn Lacey, who is running for election to succeed Cooley, had violated some rules, memoranda and directives regarding campaigning for office on “company time and space."

Betty is the first one to draw a connection by the distractions in the D.A's office, and the appearance of many long festering issues with teachers in the LA Unified School District.

We know readership and circulation are dwindling, and so major media doesn't have the resources it once had, but there are many important stories that require the attention of the third estate. Rather than write fluff pieces on Mayor V and the demographics of the Motion Picture Academy, maybe the big boys at the Times can look into some of the antics at Los Angeles District Attorney's office, which will have an open seat this year.

L.A. TIMES OVERLOOKS COOLEY AND LACEY SLEAZE



L.A. Times reporter

L.A. Times hack columnist Steve Lopez states the obvious in his Sunday column today, Los Angeles politics are almost as sleazy as Chicago politics. Well STOP THE PRESSES! Who woke old man Lopez from his 20 year nap?
What Lopez conveniently left out of his column is how L.A.'s chief Prosecutor Steve Cooley and his equally confused Chief Deputy Jacquelyn Lacey are responsible for more sleaze and corrupt practices than most of the lightweights mentioned by Lopez.

None of the pols mentioned by Lopez have committed perjury in a Federal Court case as Lacey did. None of the elected officials mentioned in the column have cost L.A. Taxpayers in excess of $5 million dollars (and counting), for their inappropriate conduct, as both Cooley and Lacey have.

Lopez also failed to mention that the L.A. Times has been complicit in a lot of the questionable and corrupt practices that have taken place in L.A. For instance, when L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich screamed from the top of a mountain that the L.A. City Council complicitly approved the expenditure of millions of tax payer dollars in support of major political benefactor AEG, the L.A. Times jumped all over Trutanich and called him a bully.  The Times said nothing about Councilwoman Jan Perry and Mayor Villariagosa handing out taxpayer dollars to one of their major political benefactors, in support of a private for-profit event.

The L.A. Times has said nadda about the relationship between Steve Cooley and former D.A. Robert Philobosian, whose major clients in the city of Cudahy have committed questionable acts similar to those by the former elected officials in the City of Bell.

We know the L.A.Times can dish out heaps of criticism. The question is, can they take it?  I'm told, forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.

BREAKING!!!! L.A. TIMES JACK LEONARD DECLARES L.A. DRAGNET (DAVID BERGER) IS "NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE."

Would you buy a used car from this man?

L.A. TIMES reporter and Steve Cooley crony, JACK LEONARD is on record stating emphatically that "L.A. Dragnet",  the downtown blog written by Deputy District Attorney David Berger, (a Steve Cooley  butt boy), "is not a reliable source."

Leonard made the remarks in response to an inquiry by the campaign of Deputy District Attorney Mario Trujillo ,who had advised Leonard that Alan Jackson had touted the endorsement of former California Governor, Pete Wilson.  When Leonard asked for the source of such endorsement, the Trujillo campaign pointed to the David Berger blog, which is published under the facade of "Los Angeles Dragnet." Leonard stated emphatically and on the record, "Everyone in the newsroom knows that blog is not a reliable source. Too many journalists have been burned by that huckster"  In fact, it is well-known that the Berger blog is really nothing more than an arm of the Steve Cooley/Jaquelyn Lacey political smear machine, written with the standards of your average British tabloid.

As one longtime Los Angeles political insider observed, "Instead of Page Six girls, this blog has false and sensational stories about Nuch Trutanich and Alan Jackson. It's a running joke how transparent and one note the whole thing is."

It hasn't seemed to slow Trutanich down. Last week it was reported that Trutanich received over one million dollars in donations to his exploratory District Attorney campaign, without formally declaring his candidacy. Alan Jackson and Jaquelyn Lacey have received a disappointing small fraction of that, after campaigning for over a year, with Steve Cooley's support. 

The community seems to be speaking loud and clear.  They're tired of Cooley, Lacey, Jackson, and their brand of management, and seem to want Trutanich. Our friends at City Watch have conducted a poll asking whether Carmen Trutanich should run for District Attorney. The results thus far have over Seventy three hundred respondents with as of this posting 75% answering "Yes, Trutanich would make an excellent DA."

A veteran reporter at another media outlet, who is known for having a keen eye when it comes to the Los Angeles political scene, commented, "Cooley and Lacey seem to be serving out their final months bathed in a fountain of sleaze. Using one of their Deputy District Attorney's to blog political smear attacks, jumps the shark. "

After Rick Orlov and several other journalists were burned by Berger and his phony blog, Jack Leonard, and several other local journalists have confirmed that Berger is as credible as a Used Car salesman. It's not surprising since over the past couple years, the downtown L.A Justice community regards Berger as if he has leprosy. Now it's apparant the L.A. Jounalism community wants nothing to do with him either.

Mario Trujillo bitch slaps Steve Cooley

We don't need no stinkin' Cooley

Too bad Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Mario Trujillo doesn’t read this blog.  It wasn’t but 2 weeks ago that we posted our information about Steve Cooley’s political smear machine inside the District Attorney’s office.  Foolishly, Mario walked right into the buzz saw.

Last week the aspiring politician sent out a fund raising email asking potential donors to send him their Christmas money for his sputtering campaign. In the process, attempting to demonstrate he’s a “reformer” he threw in some lines about how the “District Attonrey’s Office” is fucked up (we’re paraphrasing), “and only he has” the cajones to turn things around. (still paraphrasing)

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Problem is, nobody was buying this crap.

See, Cooley and Mario Trujillo are part of the same management team, which has failed the citizens of LA County for over a decade. If Mario thought things were run so poorly, and reform is desperately needed, then what the hell has Mario been doing all these years?

The irony is Mario is a co-defendant with Steve Cooley and Jackie Lacey in the anti-labor and anti-union lawsuits which were only partially settled against them, costing taxpayers at least $600,000 and probably millions more, not to mention the legal fees that taxpayers will have to pay for the private attorneys hired from the Jones Day law firm which will probably double that amount.

Mario hoped to raise money from a gullible and uninformed crowd by writing "I have seen how archaic and inefficient policies of the D.A.'s office have delayed justice for victims, wasted taxpayer money, and put our community at risk."

Does Mario’s "reform plan" include management personally paying for the damage they cause rather than “wasting taxpayer money” by sticking taxpayers with the bill? Then, to further embellish his dexterity at talking out of both sides of his mouth, Trujillo told the Met News, this fundraising e-mail was “not attacking the administration,”  and “in no way was it meant to be a criticism of my boss.” WTF?

Cooley spokesperson Sandi Gibbons was correct, when she called Trujillo’s two-faced comments "disappointing"?! One high-ranking official in the D.A.’s office has told the Dragnet, “It’s a shame Mario’s feeble campaign has resorted so quickly to throwing his colleagues under the bus. But maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. Mario’s role in Cooley’s union busting tactics included snitching on his colleagues who merely wanted labor representation in the D.A.'s office.  It’s obvious he’s now trying to distance himself from his co-horts, Steve Cooley and Jackie Lacey.”  Question is, will the Latino and legal communities back a disloyal snitch?  Probably not. What’s your opinion?

Is Steve Cooley running a Political Smear Machine out of the District Attorney's Office?

I wish the room would stop spinning.

Second in a series.

Sources inside the Los Angeles County District Attorneys’ office have informed us that Steve Cooley’s political smear machine is up and running.  This may be a throw back to the days when William H. Parker ran L.A. in a way that would make J. Edgar Hoover blush. 

Cooley has assigned staff who dedicate their energies and County time to attack those who dare to challenge his view of the world.

With Joe Scott enjoying his pension on a beach somewhere, one of his sleazy weapons was to unleash Deputy District Attorney David Berger to handle the “dirty work.”

Berger, who has been somewhat of a “butt boy” for Cooley for the past decade spends all his time on his obscure blogs, sending out fabricated accusations about one challenger or another.  On one day alone last week, Berger sent out 18 tweets from his faux twitter account.  He continuously attempted to smear fellow Deputy D.A.’s in the L.A. County Prosecutors Office with all sorts of half-truths, and fabricated allegations.  Berger would have you believe that he’s just expressing his first amendment rights, which he’s entitled to do. But common sense tells you that if he didn’t have the approval of his superiors, including Cooley and his joined-at-the-hip co-hort, Jacquelyn “Jackie” Lacey, he wouldn’t be attacking so fiercely.

But what’s it all about?  Why would an old, grrizzled politician, in the autumn of his career who’s been known to enjoy a cocktail or two after hours, and a veteran career prosecutor like Lacey, want to smear colleagues and friends?

As one observer noted, “The same arrogance he brought to the Attorney General’s race is employed every day at the top levels of the D.A.’s office. After  twelve years, Cooley thinks he owns the office. Jackie will do anything to get promoted. It’s time for a change."

The story takes us back to Cooley and Lacey’s hatred of a group of veteran Deputy District Attorneys in the D.A.’s office who had the audacity to form a labor organization that was designed to represent the employment interests of all deputies inside the office.  The "ADDA" or otherwise known as the Association of Deputy District Attorneys have struggled for years to organize an Association that would collectively represent their employment issues. Cooley did not want his deputies to organize for fear they could challenge his arrogant policies, and he would not be able to manipulate them so easily as he has done in the past. 

He engaged in retaliatory tactics by transferring perceived enemies to less desirable posts. He also issued poor performance evaluations to union leaders after they engaged in union-related activities.

According to California Lawyer Magazine “Steve Cooley Under Siege  - June 2011 edition” the Los Angeles County district attorney faces federal civil charges that he retaliated against union leaders and chilled participation in a nascent labor organization for deputy D.A’s.”  Take Robert Dver, a veteran prosecutor. Dver sought the advice of Jacquelyn Lacey, a close friend and a top official at the DA's office, before deciding whether to join the bargaining team of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA) in 2008. According to testimony he gave to the L.A. County Employee Relations Commission (ERCOM) before the federal suit was filed, Lacey warned Dver that Cooley disliked the newly certified prosecutors' union. But the top prosecutor told Dver that the union was going to be a disaster, and encouraged him to join two other deputy DAs in efforts to undermine the organization.

Lacey made a fautian bargain with Cooley.  If she agreed to support his union busting agenda, he would publicly promote her as his successor.  She held up her end of the bargain. Now he finds himself stuck promoting a candidate as his successor whom he’s told several members of the legal community “has no chance.” Ironically, with Cooley’s help, Lacey has only raised a measly $125,000.  Not nearly enough to run a highly contested L.A. County campaign.

In a preliminary injunction filed in March, U.S. District Court Judge Otis D. Wright called the evidence provided by the union against Cooley and Lacey "striking and rampant," and ordered Cooley’s office to stop "discriminating or retaliating against members of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys on the basis of their membership in ADDA."

And a November decision in the ERCOM proceedings identified "a deliberate and thinly disguised campaign" by the DA's office to "destroy" ADDA through a "pattern of antiunion conduct so overt and vehement, it harkens back to an earlier and less civil time in employer-employee relations."

It is unheard of for a Federal Court to issue an injunction against a sitting District Attorney. According to the “Memorandum of Understanding Re: Settlement” dated Sept. 19,2011 the county will pay the ADDA $125,000 for Cooley’s and Lacey’s wrongdoings, and will pay Dep. D.A. Marc Debbaudt $440,000 for the pain and suffering Cooley/Lacey caused him. And that’s just one plaintiff; there are three more plaintiffs involved now in settlement negotiations over the unlawful actions of Cooley/Lacey. Moreover, this settlement stipulates that the injunction is to be declared permanent and in full effect for as long as Cooley is the D.A. — “including both his current term and any subsequent terms.”

The County taxpayers are likely to get stuck paying the tab for $5 to $7 million dollars in civil damages due to the wrongful mismanagement conduct of Cooley and Lacey.

At a time when government services are being cut up and down, they're wasting taxpayer money to settle their personal misconduct. It's outrageous and the County Supervisors should refuse to pay it. What’s your opinion?