VENTURA : D.A. Ordered to Turn Over Files in Killing

In a lengthy and sometimes harshly written ruling, a federal judge has ordered Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury to turn over to Los Angeles County every document his office has produced in connection with the death of millionaire rancher Donald Scott.

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Scott at his Ventura County ranch near Malibu in 1993. The deputy had obtained a search warrant in Ventura County, saying he had information that Scott was growing marijuana.

No drugs were found during the raid, and Bradbury later issued a report blasting the deputy and his department for the handling of the raid. Bradbury said that while the deputy fired in self-defense, he misled a Ventura County judge to obtain the search warrant.

Bradbury concluded in the report that the raid was motivated in part to seize Scott’s $5-million ranch.

Scott’s family is now using that report as part of a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, alleging that Scott’s civil rights were violated during the raid.

Citing confidentiality and special privilege laws for internal documents, Bradbury has resisted Los Angeles County demands for documents related to the Scott case.

But U. S. Magistrate Judge R. J. Groh Jr. dismissed Bradbury’s claims in the jurist’s 24-page Aug. 10 ruling, ordering Bradbury to turn over the internal memorandum, reports and other documents to Los Angeles County attorneys.

“After reading the Bradbury Report and Ventura’s submissions and examining the withheld documents, one is left with the impression that Ventura is less concerned with protecting its analytical and evaluative process than it is with attempting to guard against the disclosure of any material which might be inconsistent or conflict with the ‘official’ view expressed in the published report,” the judge wrote. “There can be no question that the withheld documents reflect discrepant views regarding a variety of matters pertaining to the investigation and the findings of the Bradbury Report.”

Groh also ordered Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. John Vanarelli to answer questions under oath that Los Angeles County attorneys have for him. Vanarelli approved submitting the search warrant to a judge.