Grand jury critical of Riverside County District Attorney's Office

By Keith Matheny • The Desert Sun • May 22, 2009

The Riverside County grand jury on Friday issued a harsh rebuke to county District Attorney Rod Pacheco, stating his authoritarian ways have led to “a pervasive climate of fear and intimidation within the D.A.’s office,” and his disdain for settling cases has contributed to a court backlog.
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Asked for comment by The Desert Sun on Friday, Pacheco’s office replied with a copy of a response letter the office sent to the grand jury.

In the letter, Chief Assistant District Attorney Sue Steding blasted the grand jury’s report as “limited, skewed and naive,” and refuted any idea “that expedience and convenience should be paramount to justice for victims and our society.”

The grand jury report cites the testimony of sworn witnesses, including former and current prosecutors in Pacheco’s office, as well as court-provided data and the testimony of the county Public Defender’s office, area defense attorneys and others.

In addition to reviewing criminal cases, grand juries in California also have a governmental oversight capacity, which this is considered.

Among the grand jury report’s findings:

That although career deputy district attorneys have traditionally been given discretion to manage their assigned cases, “in the current D.A.’s office, discretion has been all but taken away.”

“Witnesses report that current D.A.’s office practices discourage case settlements,” in violation of written office policies.

Investigation by the grand jury revealed that the D.A.’s office’s stance on settlements “contributes to the congestion of Riverside County Courts.”

“D.A.’s office witnesses described a prevalent fear of being transferred or reassigned to less desirable positions and/or geographic locations as punitive measures for perceived lack of loyalty.

“Fear of retaliation was described as inhibiting initiative, particularly in negotiating case settlements.”

Read more about this story in tomorrow's Desert Sun.

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090522/NEWS0802/90522031/1263/update/Grand+Jury+critical+of+Riverside+County+District+Attorney+s+Office