Prison For Former Sheriff Lee Baca

LOS ANGELES, CA — Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was sentenced to three years in prison Friday for his role in the Los Angeles County jail inmate abuse coverup, a scandal that rocked the nation's largest sheriff's department.

Baca was also ordered to undergo one year of supervised release for obstructing the federal probe into corruption in the jails. Baca was given until July 25 to put his affairs in order before turning himself in at a federal prison in either Kern County or Oregon. He was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to serve a year of supervised release after he is released and pay a $7,500 fine.

The sentence completes the dramatic downfall of Los Angeles County's top lawman, taking Baca from the helm of the nation's largest sheriff's department to a prison cell. It was the coverup of alleged inmate abuse at the hands of deputies that brought him down. The scandal also ended the careers of several top sheriff's officials.

Anderson, who presided over a series of trials that led to the conviction of 10 former members of the Sheriff's Department involved in the conspiracy, said Baca "knew what he was doing was wrong, and he had no problem using his office to further his own agenda."

"Blind obedience to a corrupt culture has serious consequences," Anderson added.

The former sheriff showed no emotion as Anderson handed down the sentence. At one point, Baca nodded at his wife, but declined to make a statement during the 90-minute hearing.

Anderson told Baca his Alzheimer's diagnosis is not a "get-out-of-jail card."

The judge referred to the "lasting damage you caused our community and the sheriff's department," saying Baca's actions were taken "to burnish your legacy -- all at the expense of the public's trust."

"Your loyalty was perverted," the judge said, adding, "Your actions embarrass the thousands of men and women who put their lives on the line every day."

Speaking to reporters outside court, Baca thanked his wife, his attorneys and "the people of Los Angeles County," saying he has continued to hear words of support from the public.

"I would like to say that for me, it was an honor to serve the county of Los Angeles for over 48 years," he said.
Baca did not specifically address comments made by Anderson, but said he was honored "to see the performance of such wonderful people that are deputy sheriff's in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."

"I'm grateful for their willingness to sacrifice many, many hours without pay to continue to do their jobs," Baca said, adding that he has been "a blessed person."

In a pre-sentencing memorandum, prosecutors wrote that in helping derail the FBI probe, Baca "abused the great power the citizens of Los Angeles County had given him," while false statements made during a sworn interview with investigators was a "deliberate attempt to deflect blame and place it entirely on the shoulders of others within his department," the prosecution wrote.

Baca was convicted March 15 of obstruction of justice and two other federal charges for his role in the scheme to thwart the FBI probe into inmate mistreatment in the jails and of lying to the bureau several times during a sworn interview. Earlier this week, Baca vowed to appeal his conviction and prison sentence. In a document filed in federal court, defense attorney Nathan Hochman asked the judge to grant bail pending appeal on the grounds that Baca is not likely to flee and poses no danger to the community. The attorney also argued that a successful appeal would likely result in a reversal or an order for a new trial.

After about two days of deliberations, a criminal jury in downtown Los Angeles -- the second to hear the case -- found that Baca authorized and condoned a multi-part scheme that now has resulted in the conviction of 10 former members of the Sheriff's Department.

Prosecutors had been seeking a two-year prison term for the 74-year-old ex- sheriff, while the defense asked for a non-custodial term of home detention.

During his two trials, prosecutors described Baca as being the top figure in the conspiracy, which also involved his former right-hand man, Paul Tanaka, and eight deputies who took orders from the sheriff.
In helping derail the FBI probe, Baca "abused the great power the citizens of Los Angeles County had given him," while false statements made during a sworn interview with investigators was a "deliberate attempt to deflect blame and place it entirely on the shoulders of others within his department," the prosecution wrote in pre-sentencing documents.

Normally, the government would recommend a prison term of more than four years for the convictions. But due to Baca's age and cognitive condition, "the interests of justice will not be served by defendant spending many years behind bars in a severely impaired state," the document states.

In its papers supporting a probationary term in home detention with community service, the defense cited Baca's decades of public service, diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer's disease and "peripheral" role in the wide-ranging conspiracy.

Attorney Nathan Hochman asked the judge to consider "an individual with one of this country's most exceptional public service careers spanning over almost 50 years, an individual who suffers from the incurable and rapidly progressing and debilitating mental health disease of Alzheimer's, and an individual for whom prison will not allow him to obtain medical care in the most effective manner and will subject him to especially harsh treatment due to his medical condition as well to his age and former position as LASD Sheriff."

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FRED SHUSTER of City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca talks to the media as he leaves federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Baca was convicted Wednesday of obstructing an FBI corruption investigation of jails he ran and of lying to federal authorities. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)