D.A.’s Office: in the Zone

One of the lost episodes of “The Twilight Zone” must be taking place at the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Under what other zany scenario could seemingly rational people choose the head of the county’s lousy child support collections office as a “prosecutor of the year”?

The award is supposed to honor significant achievement. Over the years, there have been a few obvious gifts and outright bombs, but nothing quite like this.

There are separate in-house awards for criminal prosecutors and child support enforcers, with nominations made by an executive committee. Even with the child support operation’s dismal record, it’s likely there is a worthy prosecutor there, toiling against the odds, who should be honored. But how could it be Wayne Doss, the manager in charge of the D.A.’s family support operations?

Here are some of the lowlights of the support office’s performance, for which Doss, and ultimately Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, must take responsibility: It bills the wrong people for child support, knowingly at times, about 3,000 times a year; was the state legislative analyst’s choice as the least effective child support office in California; still holds support payments for years because it can’t find the parents entitled to the money; collects no money in nine out of 10 cases.

Doss said, “I am very pleased that despite all the hoopla that has taken place in the last several months, that they feel they can recognize good work and achievement.”

Yep, Twilight Zone. No question.