Lawyer for officer charged over recording racism at LAPD slams D.A.'s handling of case
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Set us as preferred Lawyers for the LAPD officer charged with multiple felonies for secretly recording his colleagues’ racist, sexist and homophobic comments issued a scathing response to Los Angeles County Dist.Atty.
Nathan Hochman, accusing the D.A.of making “a desperate effort to save face” and attempting to discredit their client ahead of his arraignment Monday.Officer Daniel Flores has said he heard co-workers refer to Black people as “monkeys” who like grape soda and eat watermelon between basketball games, according to a retaliation lawsuit he filed last year.
The suit claims Flores also heard colleagues call female officers “bitches” who couldn’t be trusted and alleged a supervisor said Mexican Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela died of septic shock because he “ate too many” tacos.Flores was flanked by a phalanx of attorneys who represent him in both his civil and criminal cases as he arrived in a downtown courtroom to face the charges.He said little during the brief hearing other than telling the judge that he understood his right to a speedy preliminary hearing and that he pleaded not guilty.
His next court date was set for Sept.9.Flores was charged with 16 counts of felony eavesdropping after he secretly taped fellow officers in the LAPD’s Training Division in 2024.
If convicted, he could face up to 13 years in prison.State law makes it is a crime for someone to record a conversation without the consent of other participants, unless they have been granted a court order to do so.Flores’ attorneys have argued that his actions were allowed under the California Invasion of Privacy Act because he was doing so in the course of his duties as a police officer.
In the days since the charges were announced, the case has sparked fierce criticism of Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.Those blast...