July 2, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Jury Selection to Resume For Trial of Sheriff Lee Baca

Jury selection is expected to resume Thursday in the second trial of former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca on federal corruption charges for allegedly conspiring to obstruct an FBI probe into possible abuse of inmates in the county jail system.

Jurors are being selected from a pool of more than 200 people who are undergoing questioning at the new federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Potential panelists from throughout the region were excused from serving Wednesday based on hardship issues and others are expected to be rejected because of their perceived viewpoints on the sheriff’s department and how much they already know about the case.

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson said jurors would remain anonymous due to the media attention the retrial is expected to draw and to lessen the chance that they are contacted during the proceedings.

Jury selection, which marks the start of a trial, may last the rest of the week.

Baca, 74, was tried in December on counts of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, but jurors deadlocked 11-1 in favor of acquitting the former sheriff. Anderson then declared a mistrial.

At his retrial — expected to take about two weeks — the former sheriff will also face a third felony count of lying to federal officials.

The charges partly stem from a 2011 incident in which two sheriff’s investigators confronted an FBI agent involved in the jail probe in the driveway leading into her apartment and falsely told her they were in the process of obtaining a warrant for her arrest.

The case against Baca focuses on a period of time when sheriff’s deputies based at the Men’s Central Jail stumbled upon a secret FBI probe of alleged civil rights abuses and unjustified beatings of inmates within jail walls.

Prosecutors contend Baca so resented the federal government’s jails probe that he attempted to force the FBI to back down by illegally having deputies confront the agent at her apartment.

The prosecution also alleges that Baca ignored years of complaints about excessive force used illegally against jail inmates in county facilities managed by the Sheriff’s Department.

The third count — making false statements — contends that Baca lied to the FBI in April 2013 about his knowledge of department efforts to subvert a federal probe into corruption and inmate abuse in the jail system.

Baca maintains he had no knowledge of what was being done in his name by subordinates, including former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. Tanaka is serving a five-year prison term for his conviction on obstruction of justice charges similar to those Baca faces. Eight other former deputies were convicted and are serving time in the case.

In a flurry of pretrial motions, Anderson ruled that jurors will not be allowed to hear medical testimony that Baca has been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for years, calling such proposed testimony a “waste of time.”

Baca’s lawyers had asked the judge to allow UCLA psychiatrist and Alzheimer’s expert Dr. James Spar to link Baca’s alleged criminal actions to a years-later diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment.

“Evidence linking defendant’s current diagnosis to the charges is entirely speculative and inadmissible,” the judge wrote, adding that Spar’s testimony “would only serve to confuse the jury.”

Baca’s attorneys contend that the ex-sheriff is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and suffered some cognitive impairment as long as six years ago.

The judge also granted a prosecution motion to prevent the defense from introducing testimony about Baca’s “prior good works,” which did not directly pertain to the charges for which he was being tried.

And Anderson banned Baca from wearing his mini-sheriff’s star lapel pin, as the former lawman had been doing for court appearances since he was first charged in February 2016. Prosecutors wrote that by wearing the star, Baca was attempting “to portray himself as a law-abiding reformer” to the jury without ever taking the stand.

jury

Related Posts

(Video) Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, Holly J. Mitchel, Gives a Powerful Speech

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Supervisor Mitchell Called on Residents to take action at the rally for Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano in Culver City.

Top Military Commander Urges Return of Troops Deployed to ICE Protest Response

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

General Requests 200 National Guard Soldiers Be Returned to California Wildfire Unit The senior U.S. military officer overseeing federal forces...

Second Victim Killed Alongside LAPD Sergeant in Brentwood 405 Crash Identified

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Authorities Confirm Garcia, 34, Died at the Scene, GoFundMe Launched  Authorities have identified the civilian who was killed alongside a...

The Westside Lights Up for July 4: Fireworks, Drone Shows, and Parades Return Across West Los Angeles

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

From Marina Del Rey’s Fireworks to Culver City’s 1980s-Themed Drone Show, Get Ready to Celebrate From fireworks over Marina del...

Historic Sawtelle Nursery Site Could Become 40-Unit Townhome Complex

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Sawtelle Continues to Change as Nursery Site Faces Redevelopment Plans have been submitted to redevelop a nursery site, F.K. Nursery,...

California Judge Rules FAIR Plan’s Smoke Damage Policy Unlawful

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Court Says Wildfire Insurance Program Illegally Denied Claims Legal protections for California homeowners took a step forward this week after...

(Video) Culver City Residents and City and County Leaders Rally for Disappeared Ice Cream Man Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

US Representative for California’s 37th Congressional District, Sydney Kamlager-Dove Speaks About What is happening to the disappeared.

Drake Slashes Price on Beverly Hills Estate to $79 Million Amid Market Slowdown

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Price Cut Adds to a Broader Retreat From His Los Angeles Real Estate Holdings. Musician Drake has reduced the price...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

Overdose Deaths Drop 22% in Los Angeles County, Marking Largest Decline on Record

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Fentanyl Fatalities Fell 37% as County Ramps up Funding for Prevention, Treatment Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County declined...

Cinespia Brings Fireworks and Fan Favorites to Hollywood Forever This July

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Watch Top Gun, La La Land, and More Under the Stars at Hollywood Forever Cinespia, Los Angeles’ iconic outdoor movie...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Robbery Suspects Captured in Beverly Hills After License Plate Alert Triggers Pursuit

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Foot Chase Ends in Arrests After ALPR Flags Robbery Vehicle in Beverly Hills An alert from the Beverly Hills Police...

EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles Returns with Star Chefs, Firefighter Tribute, and Wildfire Relief Efforts

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Culinary Festival Features Exclusive Restaurant Collabs, Support for Small Businesses  EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles, the celebrated food festival curated by The...

Supporters to Gather This Weekend for Longtime Culver City Paleta Seller Held in Detention

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Family and Neighbors Will Gather Sunday to Sell Paletas and Raise Funds Supporters will gather this Sunday at Veterans Park...