Readers React: L.A. County supervisors owe us an explanation for their perplexing public defender appointment

To the editor: I recently served for six months as the interim Los Angeles County public defender. Contrary to your conclusion that the Board of Supervisors has been guilty of “neglect,” unfortunately in my experience, the opposite was true. (“Why L.A. doesn’t need an elected public defender,” editorial, March 19)

Rather, the supervisors listened to and relied upon complaints and letters from a small cabal of disgruntled attorneys. As a result, during my tenure and before, the supervisors nitpicked, micromanaged and placed roadblocks along every step of the way. They impeded and stalled efforts to improve the morale of the office.

Now, the supervisors’ perplexing and unprecedented decision to install a team of unequipped civil lawyers to be in charge of the country’s largest and greatest public defender’s office is appropriately resented and condemned by the office’s lawyers as well as the legal community as a whole and public defenders from throughout the country.

Kenneth I. Clayman, Calabasas

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To the editor: Your editorial about the “butting in” by the supervisors, who mysteriously appointed a grossly unqualified and unpopular temporary public defender, misses the mark.

First, there is no real ongoing debate as to whether the head of the country’s oldest public defender office should be elected or appointed. Probably everyone concedes that the present appointment system is here to stay, as it is in 57 of California’s 58 counties.

Second, the editorial hints that things in the office are “not working” and that changes are “in order” without offering the slightest bit of supporting information or recommendations for improvement.

Third, the editorial skirts the present controversy over the appointment of the current interim public defender. What is needed is a good investigative article about how and why this appointment was made. It smacks of cronyism, favoritism and a process hidden by the board from public input and scrutiny.

When the Board of Supervisors acts in such a secretive, questionable manner, is it not the duty of a watchdog like the Los Angeles Times to dig into the mess and enlighten us?

Victor Salerno, Los Angeles

The writer, a criminal defense attorney, worked in the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office from 1979-88.

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