Flap Over Court Letter Puts Parton on Defensive : Politics: Redondo Beach mayor says he did not write or sign correspondence to judge lauding the character of a former ally convicted of child molestation.

Redondo Beach Mayor W. Brad Parton, under fire for writing a letter of recommendation for a former political ally who was convicted of child molestation charges last year, said Thursday that he did not write or sign the letter.

He said the letter apparently was written, and signed with his name, by the convicted man--Timothy M. Carey, 35, a Torrance-based political consultant who ran Parton’s successful 1989 campaign for mayor.

But Parton stopped short of calling the letter a forgery, saying it probably was drafted as the result of what he termed “a misunderstanding.” “I told him (Carey), ‘Do it yourself, then send it to me, and I’ll sign it,’ ” Parton said. He added that he didn’t know specifically what the letter was for, only that Carey was facing a “legal problem.”

“That was the last I heard of it,” Parton said.

He said he assumes Carey thought he’d been given permission not only to draft the letter, but also to sign the mayor’s name to it.

Carey did not return repeated phone calls to his office.

The 1992 letter, typed on City of Redondo Beach stationery, was sent to a Long Beach Superior Court judge on behalf of Carey, who has worked in numerous political campaigns throughout Southern California. The letter was included in a packet of pre-sentencing materials seeking leniency for Carey.

In March, 1992, Carey pleaded no contest to felony charges that he molested a 12-year-old girl, the daughter of a family friend, on his boat in Long Beach Harbor two months earlier.

During sentencing proceedings in the case, Carey’s attorney and Superior Court Judge Arthur Jean Jr. both made reference to the alleged letter from Parton, along with similar recommendation letters from others, as evidence that Carey did not deserve a prison term for the offense.

The letter allegedly written by Parton painted a glowing picture of Carey’s activities on behalf of candidates “who were dedicated to helping seniors, improving schools and improving community safety.” The letter concluded, “Tim Carey is a hard-working, responsible citizen. I hope you will take that into consideration when you decide this case.”

Judge Jean subsequently sentenced Carey to five years of probation, 500 hours of community service and six months in County Jail. It is not clear how much jail time Carey actually served, however. He could have been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison.

After recent news reports about the letter and questions about the ethics of using city stationery to express support for a man convicted of child molestation, Parton said he had written on Carey’s behalf without knowing the purpose of the letter.

But the letter Parton acknowledged writing was not the same letter that was received by Judge Jean and entered in the official court file in the Carey case, according to Parton and Thelma Guerreva, executive secretary to the mayor and City Council in Redondo Beach.

“He (Parton) didn’t write that letter, and I didn’t type it,” Guerreva said Wednesday. “And that is not his signature.”

Guerreva explained that in April, 1992, Parton asked her to type a brief recommendation letter for Carey after Carey had requested one. Unsure how to word the letter, Guerreva said, she contacted Carey.

“I called Mr. Carey and asked him what the letter was for,” Guerreva said. “He said it was for a job application.”

Guerreva said she subsequently typed a brief, three-paragraph letter, dated April 10, 1992, and addressed “To Whom It May Concern,” which described Carey as “resourceful, hard-working and responsible.” Parton then signed that letter, Guerreva said, and she mailed it to Carey.

Guerreva provided a copy of that letter to the Times.

Parton said he later got a call from Carey, asking for a more detailed letter. Parton said he remained unaware of what the requested letter was for, except that “I knew it had to do with some sort of legal problem.”

He said he told Carey to draft the letter because he was in the midst of a campaign for the state Assembly and didn’t have time to do it himself. Parton subsequently lost the Assembly race.

The recommendation letter in Carey’s official court file is addressed directly to Judge Jean and bears a signature markedly different from Parton’s. According to Parton and Guerreva, Parton’s customary signature is “W. Brad Parton.” The April 23 letter in the court file is signed “Brad Parton.” The signatures are markedly different.

“As soon as I saw that letter (from the court file), I knew he (Parton) didn’t sign it,” Guerreva said.

Parton said if he had been aware of the charges against Carey he probably would not have written a recommendation letter.

“I certainly would not have written a letter to a judge trying to sway him,” Parton said. But, Parton added, “I don’t think there was an intent on (Carey’s) part to deceive anyone.”

Parton said he still considers Carey a friend, although he has not spoken with him at any length recently, he said. The mayor called the child-molestation charges against Carey “a tragedy for everybody.”

Carey’s court case file also contains recommendation letters written by former L.A. County Supervisor Peter Schabarum and Lawndale City Council member Norman Lagerquist. Neither was available for comment.