It appears that indicted O.C. Sheriff Mike Carona is on the way out, no matter what he does. The L.A. Times is now reporting that even O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who has been an ally of Carona, is urging “the county’s top lawman to take a leave of absence while he fights sweeping corruption charges.”
“Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to pass a resolution asking Carona to step aside and appoint a qualified member of his command staff to take over.”
Other Republicans, including O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell and Assemblyman Todd Spitzer are echoing Rackauckas’ request to Carona. But I prefer what Supervisor John Moorlach is saying, “He needs to resign; we’re not talking caretaker government here.” Amen!
It is obvious that Carona and his Svengali handler, Mike Schroeder, are finished in Orange County. It is but a matter of time before Carona is dragged off in chains to a penitentiary. And Schroeder has become a caricature of himself, particularly in the wake of his scurrilous email attack this past week on OC GOP activist Mark Bucher.
So who will be the next Sheriff? I do believe we will end up with a caretaker. Then get ready for a special election to replace the disgraced Carona. Here is my analysis of the current players who appear to be lining up to be our next Sheriff:
- O.C. Deputy Sheriff Jack Anderson – I don’t know him well. He is an OC GOP Central Committee member. That alone is a good reason not to go with him. We need a cop, not a another politician. Besides, Anderson presumably was hired by Carona, or by Carona’s henchmen. That’s not good.
- Former San Clemente Police Chief and O.C. Deputy Sheriff Bill Hunt – He is supposed to be an ethical alternative to Carona, but Hunt has his own baggage. He helped former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl’s kid to get away with being pulled over while possessing marijuana. We don’t need any more of these pratfalls from our next Sheriff. I feel bad that Carona ruined Hunt’s career, but that is not a sufficient reason to elect him.
- Commander Ralph Martin, of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department – Experienced, amicable and moderate. Martin lives in Orange County, but he works in L.A., for Sheriff Lee Baca. He is low-key but confident, and does not appear to have Carona’s massive ego problems. He seems like a good choice.
- Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters – Carona once beat Walters. Too bad. Walters would have been a better Sheriff. The sad thing is that Walters has for years been forced to do what Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Santa Ana City Manager Dave Ream tell him to do. It was Pulido who forced Walters to endorse Carona last year. Walters certainly has the administrative knowledge and leadership ability to be our next Sheriff. But his police department is terribly non-responsive to Santa Ana residents and there are many rumors about SAPD officers being rude to Latinos. On the flip-side, Walters has resisted calls to set up an ICE program in Santa Ana. I think Walters would be a better choice than the rest of the candidates, with the exception of Martin, who at least can say he never endorsed Carona.
Someone also mentioned Spitzer as a possible choice for Sheriff, based on his service as a reserve police officer. I think that would be a bad idea. Carona never walked a beat in his life, as he was a bailiff before becoming the Sheriff. I don’t care that Spitzer has been a reserve. He has no clue what it is to be a real cop.
I am surprised that no one has mentioned former Assemblyman and former Garden Grove cop Ken Maddox, who conducted DARE puppet shows, from what I hear. But he is now a secretary to a member of the State Board of Equalization, Michele Steel. I don’t think Steel will want to lose the guy who answers her phones and sharpens her pencils. Good secretaries are hard to find.
I am sure more candidates will pop up in time. We will be sure to scrutinize them here at the Orange Juice.
UPDATE:
Don’t miss Dana Parsons’ analysis of why Carona is hanging on to his job…it’s all about the money! Check out his story at this link.
Thoughtful post Art.
Bladerunner,
Thank you! After too many years of Carona’s hijinks, we really need to pay attention to the next Sheriff.
I have met with Martin and found him to be superior to the rest of the flock. Let’s see who else jumps into the fray…it could get very interesting.
Every month that Carona can stay on the job is another $20K in his pocket, between salary, car allowance, contribution to deferred comp., and health insurance coverage. While his retirement might approximate 70% or more of that, he would still be losing several thousand dollars a month. So, there is indeed a financial incentive to hang on.
As for Todd Spitzer, I believe he has experienced a lot of active duty hours in LA, and that has involved arrests and other confrontations in dangerous conditions. His law enforcement experience should not be underestimated. Republican strategists might be considering this nearly termed-out legislator as a possibility. A down side might be a bit of baggage in that Spitzer was on the Board of Supervisors that approved Carona’s request to water down the requirements for his Assistants so he could bring Hadil and Jaramillo aboard. Stay tuned.
We like Madeline Albright, Janet
Reno, Bill Richardson or Sheriff
Joe Apaio! You pick!
Poster 5,
Oh really? Well, the O.C. Register begs to differ with you. Read on:
Report faults Carona rival
Candidate Hunt’s order in ’03 case involving Haidl youth questioned.
By MARTIN WISCKOL
The Orange County Register
Lt. Bill Hunt, a challenger to Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona’s re-election bid, was among several department officials who mishandled a 2003 police stop of an assistant sheriff’s son, according to an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office.
Hunt, who was not interviewed by attorney general investigators and is appealing a Sheriff’s Department reprimand, stands firmly behind his actions.
The investigative report, dated April 22, has not been publicly released, but The Register reviewed it this week. It comes to light just as Hunt is gearing up his campaign and hoping to gain the deputies union’s endorsement.
The report rehashes much of earlier findings but concludes that there were a series of poor judgments by numerous officials that created the perception that preferential treatment was given to Gregory Haidl, son of then-Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, in an effort to keep the younger Haidl out of the news. It places the largest measure of blame on fired Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo.
The October 2003 incident in San Clemente began when Deputy John Roche questioned three males who were suspected of skateboarding illegally in an industrial park. In the course of the stop, he spotted a small amount of marijuana in the skaters’ car.
The marijuana was confiscated, Gregory Haidl was driven home and the other two males – one of whom claimed the pot was his – were released. At the time, Haidl was awaiting trial for sexual assault. He’s since been convicted and plans an appeal.
Hunt, who runs the sheriff’s San Clemente operations, told Roche to remove from his report the opinion that the marijuana belonged to Haidl. Roche believed it belonged to Haidl because it was in the backseat with Haidl’s wallet, keys and iced tea bottle.
“The report that Lt. Hunt finally approved contributed to the perception that Gregory Haidl was afforded preferential treatment,” the attorney general’s report says.
Hunt said that Roche lacked probable cause to include his opinion that the marijuana belonged to Haidl.
Hunt points out that the police video of the stop, which has been aired on television, clearly shows Spencer Atzei claiming ownership of the pot. Only a subsequent county grand-jury investigation and internal department investigation turned up probable cause that the drugs belonged to Haidl, Hunt said.
“You have a confession (from Atzei),” said Hunt, adding that he has not seen the attorney general’s report. “That overrides any opinions that the pot belonged to somebody else. Our job is to deal with the facts that are there at the time.”
The attorney general, however, said Roche’s opinion should have been included in the report – a view shared by Carona adviser Mike Schroeder. Schroeder said the report is particularly damning because Hunt’s bid focuses on the need to clean up the scandal-plagued department.
“How can Hunt campaign as the reform candidate when he’s part of the problem?” said Schroeder, who also said he hasn’t seen the attorney general’s report.
Ralph Martin, a Los Angeles Sheriff’s commander also challenging Carona, agreed Roche’s opinion belonged in the report.
“Nothing should be removed,” he said. But he also expressed concern about the broader department culture that led to the perception of preferential treatment.
“If that’s the atmosphere that Jaramillo and Carona created, there needs to be wholesale changes,” he said, adding that a stop like this one was a routine, minor affair that never should have gone up the ladder.
Carona is not cited among those who mishandled the affair. Among other department officials criticized:
Sgt. Richard Downey, who was called by Roche to the scene. Downey took the pot from Roche and directed that Haidl be driven home and the others released, according to the report. Downey called Hunt from the scene and told Hunt how the incident was being handled.
Lt. Lloyd Downey – no relation – was then informed by Richard Downey of the incident. Lloyd Downey then called Jaramillo to inform him, adding that the incident would not be logged. “That’s our secret,” Downey told Jaramillo, according to a recording cited in the report.
Jaramillo then called Carona to inform him of the incident, although the report says Carona “received inaccurate and incomplete information.”
Jaramillo says he told Carona all there was to tell.
“How much was there to tell?” said Jaramillo, who is facing charges related to using department resources to help a private company demonstrate a device to stop fleeing criminal vehicles. “Three kids were stopped, including Haidl. They found pot, took it and the kids were released.”
Jaramillo is also criticized in the report for creating an environment in which others would protect Haidl, which Jaramillo dismissed as inaccurate.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/local/local/article_608169.php
And I beg to differ with the OC Register – who gave way too many passes to Carona when they had the goods on him during the election.
One only has to read two paragraphs to see the following:
“Hunt, WHO WAS NOT INTERVIEWED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATORS and is appealing a Sheriff’s Department reprimand, stands firmly behind his actions.”
Bill Hunt wasn’t even interviewed!!
What kind of “investigation” is that???
This was nothing more than Mike Schroeder pulling a fast one with his connections trying to cover up a phone log that was made public which verifies a converstaion between Jaramillo and Carona. Ten minutes after that conversation, Haidl jr was taken home.
At least do your homework Art, before you selectively use articles to support a false claim.
Your new found and misplaced admiration of Ralph Martin has blinded you. The man has a fluffed up resume and went up the back stairway to his current position. He’s done nothing for OCSD and nothing for Orange County. Where was he while Bill Hunt put his career on the line to end the corruption? Why didn’t he stand with him after the election?
Because Martin has a verified reputation of being an opportunist throughout his career starting with being a driver for the L.A. Sheriff. The coward was nowhere to be found and let Bill Hunt do all the dirty work.
Poster 7,
Must I do all the work? Here, try this article from the O.C. Weekly:
One day after the Weekly published photos of Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona embracing a Mafia associate and handing out official badges to two other Las Vegas businessmen, a top challenger in the upcoming June election demanded that Carona resign immediately.
As dark clouds loomed overhead, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Commander Ralph Martin stood on the steps of the old county courthouse in Santa Ana, and pointed to an easel displaying photos the Weekly published in print or online of Carona:
* being embraced by mob associate and Vegas strip club owner Rick Rizzolo, who was holding a drink;
* standing in front of a cake as he’s flanked by Freddie Glusman, whose restaurant is a known mob hangout, and casino owner Gary Primm, contributors whom the sheriff had given official badges and bottles of wine to along with the cake;
* swearing in Glusman and Primm as reserve Orange County sheriff’s deputies.
“This is unacceptable behavior,” said Martin, an Orange County resident, at his April 27 press conference. “We can’t allow our law enforcement personnel to be associated with known criminals or criminal associates.”
Martin continued, “He clearly knows who Rick Rizzolo is, and if he doesn’t he shouldn’t be Orange County’s top cop.”
Carona is in the fight of his political life to retain control of the $550 million Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which has been racked by scandal after scandal. Vying for his third term, Carona is being challenged by Martin, LA County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Alcarez and Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Hunt, whose duties include serving as the City of San Clemente’s police chief. Hunt recently received the endorsement of OC’s rank-and-file sheriff’s deputies. After first being denied the endorsement of the Orange County Republican Party’s Central Committee, Carona won a second bid by one vote after his top lieutenants engineered a new committee vote.
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/this-is-unacceptable-behavior/25046/
Art, I’m going to stop blogging here if you continue to show ignorance. Listen to poster #7, he/she knows what they are talking about. You keep quoting articles from local papers, like they are God and all knowing.
Poster 7 is obviously a veteran of OCSD and knows the ins and outs of what and who is needed for our department. Listen to US, the men and women of OCSD. Do you really think just because Martin is handed the reigns that we are suddenly going to give him our respect? No Way. We will give Bill Hunt our respect because he deserves it, plain and simple. He is the ONE man who could could give up hope, leadership that we trust and admire, and will be proud once again to wear the badge of OCSD.
I’ve known Bill for quite some time and have nothing to gain from his appointment, other than the pride of serving him. I’m in a position I love and do not want to leave. His appointment would not change that a bit. Art, we just want to be proud again.
A 20+ yr. veteran
Re Art’s #8 Posting –
Look at the date Martin did his grandstanding at the courthouse – April 27th – just before the election! Gee, how hard was that? And, where was Ralph Martin before and after that?
Just because you and Tim Whitacre had a falling out doesn’t mean he can’t ever be right. He’s been right the whole time regarding Carona and he’s right regarding Bill Hunt. This is bigger than a squabble, we’re talking about the direction of the Sheriff’s office. Hunt is clearly the best man for the job! Don’t support Hunt for Whitacre; do it because it’s the right thing to do!
What, you didn’t like our other
choices? How about G. Gordon
Liddy then? His line about:
“In a war of wits…you are totally
disarmed!” has got to be the
best!