Orange County California has endured decades of corruption in all levels of government. Typically, the District Attorney is the office that curtails such corruption; however, here in Orange County the District Attorney’s office (OCDA) is part of the misconduct. Though investigations have been conducted at local, state and federal level, none have led to steps to curb the chronic, systemic misconduct. Today we call on you Mrs. Loretta Lynch, Attorney General, and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and create a system to reform the office that is sworn to protect us.
Due to a systemic pattern of injustice encouraged by District Attorney Tony Rackauka, it has eroded the public’s confidence to a fair trial, fostered internal negligence, turned a blind eye to alleged misconduct, and instead promoted an open disinterest to uphold Orange County’s laws.
In 2002, the Orange County Grand Jury conducted an extensive investigation that found extensive misconduct in most departments within the OCDA’s office, no actions were taken by the OCDA to follow grand jury recommendations.
In 2013, a Grand Jury issued a report decrying “government corruption” in the County of Orange’s governmental offices and operations. This Grand Jury alleged illegal behavior was “actively festering’ throughout in county government, and “corruption had permeated all levels of the organization”. The Grand Jury cited several scandals since the 1970s. There was no follow up to the investigation and operations continued as usual.
In March 2015, Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals disqualified the OCDA from continuing to prosecute the sensational Scott Dekraii murder trial case. Judge Goethals found OCDA’s office had illegally used jailhouse informants and committed unconstitutional breaches of justice by deliberately concealing this information from defense lawyers.
In July 2015, the OCDA’s office announced it would assemble its own commission to investigate claims of prosecutor misconduct. The OCDA has a history of lying in the court, of fabricating evidence and protecting corrupt officers yet expect to be trusted to investigate themselves.
In November 2015, Legal experts from all over the United States called on US Attorney General Loretta Lynch for a federal investigation of the Orange County district attorney’s office and over the use of jailhouse informants. The letter described the justice system in Orange County in a “state of crisis” needing an immediate investigation.
For these and many other violations perpetrated against the People of Orange County we call upon the U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for the immediate investigation and reform of the OCDA’s office who has chronically failed to uphold their mission statement. The OCDA’s corruption, which touches every county government agency, every county employee, every city, every appointed and elected local official, and each individual in Orange County, demands an immediate investigatory and reform process take place by an independent body to restore the fairness, credibility and justice all people in Orange County deserve.

http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/dainvestigation.pdf
http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/2012_2013_reports/Grand%20Jury%20Final%20Report2012-2013.pdf
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/05/orange_county_prosecutor_misconduct_judge_goethals_takes_district_attorney.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/orange-county-district-attorney_us_55a6fc50e4b0c5f0322c5b8e
http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-1119-informant-letter-20151118-story.html