Sheriff's watchdog group needs new lawyers to do its job, civil grand jury says

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Set us as preferred The civilian commission overseeing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department needs to ditch the county counsel because that office is stifling the commission’s role as a watchdog, according to the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury.The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, which is represented by the Office of the County Counsel, has repeatedly clashed with the office because its lawyers are also recommending the Sheriff’s Department ignore the commission’s subpoenas.In light of the clashes, the civil grand jury supported the commission’s push to look for outside representation to enforce its role.“Recent trends in oversight now call into question whether they can equally and fully represent the ‘public interest,’” the grand jury’s June report states.

“County counsel is conflicted in equally representing the [Board of Supervisors], LASD, and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.”The oversight commission has sued the Sheriff’s Department to enforce a subpoena seeking three confidential use-of-force reports, and hired two former commission chairs — attorneys Robert Bonner and Sean Kennedy — to represent it in court, pro bono.Bonner and Kennedy left the commission last year.California Watchdogs say efforts to bring reforms and transparency to the Sheriff’s Department are being stymied while county officials claim fresh perspectives are needed on the Civilian Oversight Commission.According to the suit, L.A.

County’s attorneys have repeatedly blocked the commission’s efforts at oversight, instructing the Sheriff’s Department not to hand over confidential documents sought by the commission.“From the moment that the Civilian Oversight Commission showed we were serious about doing our job under the law and following up on our subpoenas to actually see them en...