8:30 a.m. Thursday, 6/29, rally before court hearing in ALADS v. County of L.A.
LOS ANGELES — On Thursday, June 29, ahead of a scheduled court hearing in Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs v. County of Los Angeles, the Check the Sheriff coalition will hold a press conference and rally to call attention to the ongoing crisis of deputy gangs within the L.A. Sheriff's Department and efforts by the sheriffs' association to prevent meaningful oversight and accountability into this long-standing problem.
This week, the ACLU SoCal and Check the Sheriff filed an amicus brief in the case, staunchly opposing an attempt by ALADS to continue to shield deputy gang members from accountability by blocking a critical investigation by the Office of Inspector General. A court hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Thursday in Department 85 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
WHAT: Press conference and rally before court hearing in ALADS v. County of L.A.
WHEN: Thursday, June 29: Rally and press conference at 8:30 a.m. PT
WHERE: Outside of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N Hill Street, Los Angeles
WHO: Advocates and civil rights groups with the Check the Sheriff coalition. Speakers will include:
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Family members of people killed by deputy violence and community members directly impacted by deputy gangs, including: Helen Jones, mother of John Horton; Valerie Vargas and Stephanie Luna, aunts of Anthony Vargas; and Franky Carrillo, who spent 20 years of his life incarcerated after being framed by a deputy gang member
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Other advocates with the Check the Sheriff coalition, including: Dr. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles; Pastor Cue Jn'Marie, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice; and Andrés Kwon, ACLU SoCal senior policy counsel and organizer.
BACKGROUND
For more than 50 years, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) has shielded and enabled violent deputy gangs in the L.A. Sheriff's Department at the expense of public safety. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently sent a letter to 35 deputies who the OIG has reasons to believe are members of the “Banditos” deputy gang in the East L.A. station and the “Executioners” deputy gang in the Compton station. The OIG requested the suspected deputies to appear for interviews as part of the OIG’s critical investigation into these violent deputy gangs and to show any associated tattoos.
In response, ALADS sued the county, the OIG and Sheriff Robert Luna, alleging this investigation would violate the constitutional and privacy rights of the suspected deputies, as well as labor laws. The court awarded ALADS a temporary restraining order, creating a considerable roadblock for the OIG’s investigation and subsequent efforts to eradicate deputy gangs. The hearing on June 29 will determine whether ALADS can continue to block this investigation.
Check the Sheriff is a coalition of families directly impacted by L.A. sheriff's violence and civil rights groups including the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Dignity and Power Now, and California Immigration Policy Center.