Cisneros Case

In his zeal to set the record straight about (jail informant) Stephen Cisneros, Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen Kay has forgotten a few facts (letter, Jan. 11). Kay claims no deal was made with Cisneros and that a letter was sent only to apprise the sentencing judge of the fact of his cooperation.

Kay seems to have forgotten that the letter was not addressed to the judge but to the head deputy district attorney of the branch court in which Cisneros was being prosecuted.

If the purpose of the letter was not to “get a deal” for Cisneros, I cannot imagine why the sentencing judge or head deputy would care about his “cooperation.” Kay has also forgotten that the charges Cisneros was given a deal on included attempted rape and assault on a woman.

Kay’s remark that “it is quite evident that Cisneros would have become a rapist whether or not the letter was written” is astonishing. The point is that Cisneros wouldn’t have been free to commit new crimes if a deal had not been given to him by the district attorney’s office especially in exchange for what Kay describes as “playing a small role and never being used as a witness” in the Bittaker case.

GIGI GORDON

Santa Monica