Riordan Names 2 Lawyers to Ethics, Police Panels

Mayor Richard Riordan moved quickly Tuesday to fill an upcoming vacancy on his most important city commission, the panel that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department, and at the same time tapped a well-known law professor and commentator for a post on the city’s ethics board.

In both cases, Riordan turned to lawyers and in both cases to women: He named labor attorney and Ethics Commissioner Raquelle de la Rocha to the civilian board that sets policy for the LAPD. And he tapped Susan Estrich--best known for managing Michael Dukakis’ unsuccessful presidential campaign and now an educator and commentator--to serve on the Ethics Commission, filling the vacancy created by De la Rocha’s move.

At a news conference announcing both appointments, Riordan praised his nominees as “outstanding Angelenos” who will bring experience, integrity and energy to the panels they will join if their appointments are confirmed by the City Council.

“The great news is that Raquelle de la Rocha and Susan Estrich have agreed to share their talent, time and energy on behalf of the 4 million Angelenos who call Los Angeles home,” Riordan said.

Estrich, whose career has spanned the spectrum from presidential politics to writing a diet book, accepted the nomination with characteristic outspokenness, vowing to vigorously enforce the city’s ethics rules.

De la Rocha was less brash. She declined to articulate a program for the LAPD or to venture an opinion about the adequacy of prior commissioners’ oversight of the controversial department. Her predecessor, Edith Perez, was part of a generally well-regarded commission in Riordan’s first term that tackled the difficult issue of evaluating Police Chief Willie L. Williams and ultimately decided not to reappoint him despite his considerable community backing.

In recent years, however, more and more critics have faulted the panel, now under Perez’s leadership, for its perceived loosening of civilian oversight ever since it named Police Chief Bernard C. Parks to replace Williams. Historically, the Police Commission has endured similar criticisms--from failing to supervise Daryl F. Gates when he was chief to allowing Williams too much latitude early in his term.

De la Rocha declined to wade into that complicated history.

“I need to be briefed on all the various aspects,” she said. “It’s a little premature.”

De la Rocha’s appointment brings a second San Fernando Valley resident to the police panel, where she will join car dealer and longtime commissioner Bert Boeckmann. Both are well versed in the issues surrounding the Valley’s flirtation with secession, and both have supported commissioning a study on the effects of a proposed municipal breakup.

De la Rocha comes from the circle of Riordan’s most trusted friends. A fourth-generation resident of Los Angeles, she began her career at the O’Melveny & Myers law office, where she was mentored by Kim Wardlaw.

Wardlaw is a judge on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and one of Riordan’s closest friends. She swore Riordan in for his second term and performed his marriage ceremony.

Estrich carries a different set of credentials. Originally from Boston, she moved to Los Angeles after managing Dukakis’ campaign. Since she arrived here to teach law, write books and offer commentary, she and Riordan have become friends, to the point that Estrich joked Tuesday that he was the “first and I think only Republican I’ve ever voted for.”

The nominations will move to a wary City Council, whose majority is still smarting from the mayor’s charter reform victory earlier this month.

In addition to the lingering hard feelings over that campaign, some council members have voiced concern about a spate of city commission resignations in recent weeks. Most of the departures have been routine, but a few--resulting from the mayor’s unwillingness to reappoint a popular member of the public works panel and the rapid-fire resignations of three out of five information technology commissioners--have stirred controversy.

The technology commission vacancies are of particular note because that panel had been scheduled to receive a report this week on the city’s future with regard to high-speed Internet access. A planned Monday meeting was canceled because there no longer are enough commissioners to hold a formal session.