{"id":2069315,"date":"2023-10-16T17:23:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T21:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-agrees-former-los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-face-contempt-hearing\/"},"modified":"2023-10-16T17:26:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T21:26:01","slug":"judge-agrees-former-los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-face-contempt-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-agrees-former-los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-face-contempt-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge agrees ex-LA County Sheriff won&#8217;t face contempt hearing."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-agrees-former-los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-face-contempt-hearing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2069315&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former LA County Sheriff Alex \u200bVillanueva Spared Contempt Hearing by Judge<\/h2>\n<p>A state appellate court ruling has granted former Los \u2062Angeles\u2063 County Sheriff Alex Villanueva a reprieve from facing a contempt hearing for allegedly ignoring three\u200b subpoenas\u2064 in 2021. The subpoenas were issued by the Civilian Oversight \u200bCommission (COC), but the county argued that the door to a contempt proceeding was not completely\u2063 closed.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Elaine Lu of the Los Angeles Superior \u2062Court announced her decision on October 13, following\u2062 a directive from a three-justice \u200dpanel of the Second\u2064 District Court \u2064of Appeal. The \u200dpanel ordered Judge Lu to vacate her previous ruling, which granted the county&#8217;s contempt petition, and instead deny it without prejudice. Mr. Villanueva had sought appellate review of Judge Lu&#8217;s initial ruling.<\/p>\n<p>The county, however, \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-doj-warns-red-states-not-to-restrict-gender-affirming-care-for-trans-kids\/\" title=\"Biden DOJ Warns Red States Not To Restrict \u2018Gender-Affirming Care\u2019 for Trans Kids\">filed court papers<\/a> on October 6, expressing its intention \u200cto ask\u200b the appellate court \u2062to amend its ruling. The county argued that the justices&#8217; order \u200cactually supports their position, allowing them to seek contempt under the COC&#8217;s subpoena authority through a one-step procedure.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/former-sheriff-alex-villanueva-announces-bid-for-la-county-supervisor-5491281?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Former \u200bSheriff \u200bAlex Villanueva Announces Bid\u2064 for \u2063LA\u2062 County Supervisor<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">9\/13\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/former-sheriff-explains-los-angeless-deputy-gangs-alex-villanueva-5152319?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Former Sheriff Explains Los Angeles&#8217;s &#8216;Deputy Gangs&#8217;\u2063 | Alex Villanueva<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">3\/27\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The county&#8217;s documents stated, &#8220;Accordingly,\u200c the order does not appear\u200c to set forth any \u2063reason\u200b to fully deny the petition.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, Judge Lu&#8217;s ruling emphasized that the contempt process involves two steps. She\u2064 pointed \u2064out that the\u200c county had already \u2064presented the same argument to the appellate court, which was &#8220;squarely rejected&#8221; by the justices.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In any event, on the merits, the court finds the county&#8217;s argument unpersuasive,&#8221; Judge Lu wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The subpoenas, issued between September and November 2021, required Mr. Villanueva to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-agrees-former-los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-face-contempt-hearing\/\" title=\"Judge agrees ex-LA County Sheriff won't face contempt hearing.\">provide sworn virtual testimony<\/a>\u200b before the COC. \u200bThe testimony\u200c was regarding the sheriff&#8217;s reasons for initiating investigations into public officials\u200d overseeing the Sheriff&#8217;s Department and the\u200b department&#8217;s policy on internal deputy\u200d cliques, such as the\u200d Banditos.<\/p>\n<p>County attorney Harvinder S. Anand alleged that these internal groups have &#8220;plagued\u200d the Sheriff&#8217;s Department for decades.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According \u2062to Mr. Anand&#8217;s documents, Mr. Villanueva\u200b did not \u2064comply with all three \u2063subpoenas and refused to testify under\u2063 oath. Mr. Anand stated, &#8220;Indeed, Sheriff\u200b Villanueva has flatly declared he will not agree to be placed under oath under any circumstance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Villanueva&#8217;s attorney, Linda \u2063Miller Savitt, argued in court\u200b papers that\u2063 the COC&#8217;s demand for the sheriff to testify \u2062under oath is &#8220;inexplicable.&#8221; She claimed that the sheriff has agreed to\u2062 voluntarily appear and that his right to due process is being violated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These subpoenas are\u200b not for\u200c a lawfully authorized purpose. Simply because\u2062 the COC has subpoena power and they believe\u200d they are all-powerful is not enough,&#8221; Ms. Savitt stated. &#8220;Subpoena \u2064power is not unlimited; it is supposed to be used for a lawfully authorized purpose and can be abused.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Savitt further contended that one of the \u2063three subpoenas interferes with the \u200csheriff&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lets-back-the-blue-texas-house-passes-bill-cracking-down-on-cities-that-defund-police\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Texas House Passes Bill Cracking Down On Cities That Defund Police\">state law enforcement<\/a> and criminal \u2064investigatory powers, which are expressly excluded from the COC&#8217;s jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. \u200dVillanueva, who was elected in\u200b 2018, lost his bid for\u2062 a second \u200dterm to retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna in 2022. On September 13, he announced his intention to challenge county Supervisor Janice Hahn in the \u2064March 2024 primary.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2062 What\u2064 steps can be taken\u200b to ensure \u2063a\u200d fair and thorough investigation into the allegations of misconduct and obstruction of justice within \u200dthe Sheriff&#8217;s Department<\/h2>\n<p><span>  He appellate court but failed to convince them. Judge Lu stated that the appellate court&#8217;s order only addressed the first step of the process, which is \u200cthe determination of whether there has been a willful violation of a valid subpoena. It\u200b did \u200cnot address the second step, which is the imposition of sanctions for contempt.<\/p>\n<p>The subpoenas in question were issued by the COC as part of\u200d an investigation\u2063 into allegations of misconduct \u200dwithin the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department. The COC is an independent oversight body responsible for monitoring the Sheriff&#8217;s Department and ensuring transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>According to the COC, Sheriff Villanueva failed to comply \u2064with the subpoenas, \u2062which requested \u2063documents \u200band testimony related to investigations into deputy misconduct and the reinstatement of an officer \u200bwho had been previously dismissed. The COC filed a petition for contempt\u200d against Sheriff Villanueva, alleging that his refusal to comply with the subpoenas amounted to an obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the allegations, Sheriff Villanueva argued that the COC&#8217;s authority to issue \u200csubpoenas is limited and that the agency\u200d did not have the jurisdiction to investigate the matters \u200cin question. He also claimed that the subpoenas were overly broad and burdensome.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute between Sheriff Villanueva\u2063 and the COC highlights\u200b the ongoing tensions between the Sheriff&#8217;s Department and the oversight\u2062 body. The \u2064COC has criticized the\u2064 department for its handling of various issues, including the existence of deputy gangs and allegations of misconduct\u2064 within the ranks.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 outcome\u2062 of the contempt hearing, if it does proceed, \u200dcould \u2064have significant\u2062 implications for the relationship between the Sheriff&#8217;s Department and the\u200b COC. A finding of contempt against Sheriff Villanueva could be seen as a serious rebuke and may\u2063 further erode public trust in the department&#8217;s leadership.<\/p>\n<p>It remains to be seen \u2064how the appellate court will respond to the county&#8217;s request to amend its ruling. In the\u200b meantime, the \u2062investigation into \u200bdeputy misconduct and the broader issues of transparency and \u200baccountability within the Sheriff&#8217;s Department continue \u200bto be a matter of concern for both the COC and the public.<\/p>\n<p>As the legal battle between Sheriff Villanueva and the COC unfolds, \u200cit is crucial that the interests of justice, transparency, and oversight are prioritized. The outcome \u200dof this case \u2064will not only impact the individuals involved but also the broader community and their trust in law enforcement. Only through a fair and thorough investigation can the truth be revealed and appropriate actions taken to address any misconduct or wrongdoing within the department.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A judge in Los Angeles will follow a state appellate court decision stating that ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva is not required to attend a contempt hearing for allegedly disregarding three subpoenas to testify before the Civilian Oversight Commission. The county&#8217;s plea for a contempt proceeding has been denied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":2069316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2069315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2069315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2069316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2069315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2069315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2069315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}