2 Officers Accused of Illegal Computer Use

Two Los Angeles police officers pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of illegally accessing criminal records from the department’s computer data bank for personal use, according to authorities.

Scott Rate, 29, was charged with two counts and Marc Pooler, 32, with three counts of unlawful computer access, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney’s office.

Both officers worked out of the department’s North Hollywood station.

Retrieving criminal records for personal reasons is illegal, said Bill Seki, the deputy district attorney handling the case. He would not reveal why the officers retrieved the information or whether it was used.

The computer system tracks criminal records and personal information regarding suspects.

The charges against Rate and Pooler stem from three incidents, authorities said.

Both men allegedly used the computer Sept. 11 and 12, 1995, while they were desk officers.

The additional count against Pooler involved use of the system between July 15 and Dec. 29, 1995.

The district attorney’s office asked the court to set bail at $25,000 for both men, but Rate and Pooler were released on their own recognizance, Gibbons said.

The two are due back in Los Angeles Municipal Court on March 5 for a preliminary hearing, authorities said. Meanwhile, the officers are on leave without pay pending the outcome of department disciplinary hearings.