Sheriff May Put Citron in Work Program

Former Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron, perceived by many as the architect of the county’s bankruptcy, may be placed in a work furlough program that will allow him to serve the bulk of his prison sentence while living at home, Orange County Sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.

Although no definite decision may be made for several weeks, Sheriff Brad Gates is “leaning toward” allowing Citron the option of pursuing a work program that will keep him from serving his one-year sentence behind bars, according to spokesman Lt. Tom Garner.

“It’s absolutely true that it’s not definite,” Garner said, “but he [Gates] says he’ll probably exercise that option, all things being equal. The key word, though, is ‘probably.’ ”

Gates will be out of town until Jan. 6 and could not be reached for comment Tuesday, the spokesman said.

The sheriff has sole discretion over whether to confine many nonviolent offenders or to put them to work on public property. Inmates willing to work, and determined fit enough to do so, are allowed to go home after putting in a day’s work. Garner cited janitorial duties, painting and office jobs as some of the possibilities.

Garner said 5,400 people are serving sentences or awaiting trial in Orange County jails that were designed for 3,800 inmates. About two-thirds of those held are felons, Garner said.

About 375 people are in the work program, as authorized by California’s Penal Code.

“Caltrans seems to be the biggest user of the crews. They take them out and basically use them to keep the freeways clean,” Garner said.

Despite the news, Citron’s attorney, David Wiechert, said Tuesday that he had no knowledge of any imminent decision by Gates or even that the sheriff was leaning one way or the other. Citron has been ordered to report to the jail Jan. 10.

“My understanding is that no decision has been made as to where Bob will be placed or what type of program he qualifies for,” Wiechert said.

It was only last month that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge J. Stephen Czuleger scolded Citron, 72, for “gambling with public money” while sentencing him to a year in County Jail and fining him $100,000 for skimming interest earnings from schools, cities and small agencies, which he then placed in a county-run investment account.

Czuleger also ordered Citron to serve five years of supervised probation and to perform 1,000 hours of community service.

“You failed in your oath. You failed in your obligations,” Czuleger told Citron before pronouncing his sentence. “Visiting vengeance on you would be very easy.”

But it was also Czuleger who acknowledged Citron’s remorse, his cooperation with authorities, his frail health and his wife’s dependence on him before handing down--and then setting aside--a six-year state prison term for the man blamed for the $1.64 billion in securities trading losses that pushed the county into bankruptcy in December 1994.

The Orange County district attorney’s office had sought a seven-year prison term and a $400,000 fine.