Vasquez Questions Dual Role of County Jail Consultant

A county supervisor Tuesday questioned whether the county should hire the same consultant who works for a judge handling the jail lawsuit against the county.

But the consultant, other supervisors and the lawyer suing the county over jail problems expressed no reservation about giving a new contract to Lawrence G. (Bud) Grossman.

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez persuaded the other supervisors to delay for a week approval of a new $25,000 contract with Grossman. Vasquez said he was concerned by the “potential conflict” of Grossman’s two jobs.

“I just want to understand the relationship between the county and Mr. Grossman as a jail master and potentially a consultant,” Vasquez said. But he said that “in the end, I will probably support the proposal” to give Grossman a new contract.

In 1985, U.S. District Judge William P. Gray held the county supervisors in contempt of court for failing to heed his 1978 order to end overcrowding in the men’s jail in Santa Ana. Gray then appointed Grossman, a former federal prison warden, as special master of the Orange County Jail system to monitor the county’s efforts to reduce overcrowding.

Last January, before Vasquez became a supervisor, the county also hired Grossman as a consultant to recommend ways to improve the jail system.

Grossman produced a report in April with numerous recommendations and has continued his work for the county. So far, he has been paid nearly $20,000, the maximum allowed under the contract, said Murry Cable, the assistant county administrative officer.

Now, in response to a county request, Grossman has proposed conducting “an overall review” of the jail system for the county. That report, he said, “hopefully can result in the county filing for dismissal of this lawsuit” about jail conditions.

That lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 1976, led to Gray’s 1978 order and his later finding that the supervisors were in contempt, for which he fined them $50,000. Part of the fine was used to pay Grossman’s fees as special master.

The lawsuit is pending.

Richard Herman, the ACLU attorney handling the suit, said he saw no problem with Grossman working for the county and the judge. Earlier this year, Gray recommended that the county hire a consultant on the jail system.

Grossman said Tuesday that there is no conflict because he will not be the one to ask the judge to dismiss the ACLU lawsuit. That will be up to the county, he said.

“Judge Gray, the county and the ACLU feel there is no conflict,” Grossman said. “The bottom line is, let’s get the job done and get the best possible jail and get it over with. Let’s let the county run their jail. The sheriff’s got plenty to do with opening up new jails. . . . He doesn’t need to be fooling around with all these motions.”

Grossman said that he was not certain how much he has been paid as Gray’s special master.