Advertisement

Latino Group Calls Grand Jury a Failure as Watchdog : Justice: Los Amigos of Orange County criticizes the panel for not investigating citizen complaints about which cases the district attorney chooses to prosecute.

Share via
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

A Latino activist group has criticized the Orange County Grand Jury for what it contends is the panel’s failure to investigate complaints from residents and “fulfill its government watchdog duties.”

In its annual report issued this week, the group, Los Amigos of Orange County, blasts the grand jury for not studying “the appearance of unequal justice in whom the district attorney selects to charge and the severity of charges he chooses from one case to the next.”

“The grand jury . . . cannot bring itself vigorously to name names, cite instances and criticize the establishment’s failures,” the report said. “For what local government oversight purpose do we have a county grand jury if not to speak clearly about the mismanagement and a stalling government?”

Advertisement

Los Amigos is a prominent civil rights organization made up of Latino business leaders, educators, politicians and community activists.

Its report cites figures from a Times report last month asserting that 59% of those arrested for felonies in heavily Latino Santa Ana are prosecuted, while the rate is only 30% in predominantly white Cypress.

Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi could not be reached for comment Thursday but previously has questioned the validity of the statistics and said his department files the appropriate charges.

Advertisement

The report also criticizes the panel for rejecting repeated requests from Los Amigos to investigate the district attorney’s office.

Grand jury Foreman Mario Lazo on Thursday called the report “reasonable” but would not answer its allegations without further investigation.

“We take into consideration all constructive criticism and we welcome any comments that [Los Amigos] makes,” Lazo said.

Advertisement

He said the grand jury does take action on government matters, citing the recommendations his panel made Wednesday to drastically restructure government in the bankruptcy-ravaged county.

Lazo said no probe into the district attorney’s policies and practices can be undertaken by the grand jury unless specific charges are made.

He added that the grand jury is “very much constrained by California codes, which prohibit it from pointing fingers at individuals in reports.”

Los Amigos Chairman Amin David said his group’s report was issued to the grand jurors just days before the panel made public its county-restructuring recommendations, which include making the Board of Supervisors services part time, ceding control over unincorporated areas by assigning them to cities and directing departments to identify services provided and costs. He praised the jury for its recommendations and said they might merit an addendum to the Los Amigos report.

But, he said, the main reason for the report is to pressure the grand jury into taking a serious look into the district attorney’s procedures and policies.

Advertisement