Sheriff Under Fire in Paris Hilton Case(AP)

[White_Male_Canada]

T his is not the first time that Lee Baca, the sheriff who opened the jail door for Paris Hilton, has had his judgment questioned.

He's been accused of using his authority to benefit friends and supporters. Since taking office he's accepted thousands of dollars worth of freebie meals, sports tickets and trips.

Now Baca is facing accusations of favoritism after making the decision that allowed Hilton to leave jail Thursday to serve out her sentence at her West Hollywood home.

After ordering Hilton back to her cell Friday, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer said he "at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff."

The union representing deputy sheriffs demanded that Baca "put a stop to his special treatment for celebrity inmates." And county Supervisor Don Knabe said he was stunned to find out Baca released Hilton without consulting the court.




"I would have thought he would have better judgment than that," Knabe said.

The county Board of Supervisors will demand a report on Hilton's release and Baca's decision-making in the matter, Knabe said.

For Baca, 65, who has led the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department since 1998, the blowback is not extraordinary.

When Mel Gibson was arrested for drunken driving, the department withheld video and audio tapes of the arrest, asserting they were exempt from open-government laws.

There were questions about favorable treatment for Gibson after a sheriff's spokesman initially said the arrest occurred "without incident" and made no mention of the superstar's now-notorious anti-Semitic rant.

"When a celebrity is involved, that's when people pay attention," said Robert Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies, a research group. "The big question ... is why didn't the sheriff go to the judge" before Hilton was released.

Baca has dismissed criticism over the decision.

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported Baca put one of his closest friends on the payroll as a $105,000-a-year adviser.

The newspaper also said he had accepted more than $42,000 in gifts since taking office, including some from those who do business with his department.

In 2004, he took more gifts than California's other 57 sheriffs combined.

Baca oversees an 8,000-officer force that has been vexed by low morale, tight budgets, overcrowded jails and the persistence of gang crime.

Jonathan Wilcox, a Republican strategist who teaches a course on politics and celebrity at the University of Southern California, said Baca may be caught between public expectations and the reality of the criminal justice system:

"Sheriff Baca needs to be very concerned with at least the impression that the final frontier - the law - is now as affected by celebrity as almost every other aspect of our lives."
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/08/ap3804516.html

[mph]

So, basically, he takes bribes. I can't say I'm surprised, since this is California we're talking about.. It's easy to buy people with the kind of money that flies around there.

I do hope he's at least fired, however, prosecution would definitely be the syrup on that sundae. Hell, it might even restore some faith lost in his blatant disregard for a judge's orders.

[The Truth]

Excuse me if I don't believe anything will change in California. What i don't understand is how all these elected officials get voted in. Only in California, I guess.

[lumberjack]

Only in California, WTF? Open your eyes, corruption is rampant amongst elected officials. We the people were sold out a long time ago by politicians. It seems the sole purpose of running for an office is for personal gain and doing favors for your friend$$$.

What ever happened to the concept of limited government?

[LOCpunks]

Yeah, really. It's insane how many people on this forum have writtin things [in other threads] about how fucked and corrupt, etc etc California is. As if you are completely blind as to what goes in your own state? And that guy a couple posts up, he's from Maryland?! Maryland's political and court systems are notorious for their ties to organized crime. And have you ever been to D.C.? Geez, the nerve of some people.

[mph]

Oh, don't misunderstand: I know exactly how fucked up Maryland is. The BCPD is not exactly on the level, especially when it comes to organized crime. I single out California because it's so high-profile.

As for D.C., I don't really care. As the capital of the country, there's really nothing I can say that doesn't already speak for itself.

[White_Male_Canada]

When reached for comment, Sheriff Lee Baca`s brother Chew stated,

" He was always the black-sheep of the family."

[tsntx]

lol it took me a second to get what or how or why chewie would be his brother... then i got it... lol

[MonsieurValentine]

When reached for comment, Sheriff Lee Baca`s brother Chew stated,

" He was always the black-sheep of the family."

ha ha ha ha.

[Realgirls4me]

This is basically the stance of bigoted rightwing tinhorns such as Bill O'Reilly. The name is "Baca"; the place Liberal California; what a coincidence. ...It's no surprise that W_M_C is repeating those talking points.

[White_Male_Canada]

This is basically the stance of bigoted rightwing tinhorns such as Bill O'Reilly. The name is "Baca"; the place Liberal California; what a coincidence. ...It's no surprise that W_M_C is repeating those talking points.

And Wookiees all vote Republican. :shock:

[Azanti]

She should do her time and quit bitching.

[tubgirl]

This is basically the stance of bigoted rightwing tinhorns such as Bill O'Reilly. The name is "Baca"; the place Liberal California; what a coincidence. ...It's no surprise that W_M_C is repeating those talking points.

why does even this have to have a political slant?

[CORVETTEDUDE]

I think the fuckin' Sheriff ought to go to jail with her. I wonder how much $$$$ he got from her mother for trying that shit. He's as big a POS as she is! :2cent

[Realgirls4me]

This is basically the stance of bigoted rightwing tinhorns such as Bill O'Reilly. The name is "Baca"; the place Liberal California; what a coincidence. ...It's no surprise that W_M_C is repeating those talking points.

why does even this have to have a political slant?

You're right, it shouldn't. Yet as one who frequently watches the tinhorn O'Reilly for comedic fodder, it doesn't surprise me that once again the man is just coincidently attacking a Hispanic surname as well as California all with one stone, and casting it as a political issue at that. Have you heard him of late on this matter? ...Why talk about how many American troops were killed in the last few days in Iraq when there is Hispanic or African-American somewhere in this country to get his rightwing lemmings salivating and flustered?

[PatrickFromNYC]

America has its head up its ass !!! Why the fuck is the faith of some talentless idiot daughter an important subject? Christ, there is a useless war going on and poor kids dying everyday and we are focused on this BS ??? What a joke America has become...

[Realgirls4me]

America has its head up its ass !!! Why the fuck is the faith of some talentless idiot daughter an important subject? Christ, there is a useless war going on and poor kids dying everyday and we are focused on this BS ??? What a joke America has become...

You'll get no argument from me there. Why, for example, cover where your tax dollars go, or how they're abused and wasted, when there is a Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan around to fill our TV screens?

[CORVETTEDUDE]

America has its head up its ass !!! Why the fuck is the faith of some talentless idiot daughter an important subject? Christ, there is a useless war going on and poor kids dying everyday and we are focused on this BS ??? What a joke America has become...

You'll get no argument from me there. Why, for example, cover where your tax dollars go, or how they're abused and wasted, when there is a Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan around to fill our TV screens?

Co-sign! :grouphug

[lumberjack]

Realgirls4me wrote:
You're right, it shouldn't. Yet as one who frequently watches the tinhorn O'Reilly for comedic fodder, it doesn't surprise me that once again the man is just coincidently attacking a Hispanic surname as well as California all with one stone, and casting it as a political issue at that. Have you heard him of late on this matter? ...Why talk about how many American troops were killed in the last few days in Iraq when there is Hispanic or African-American somewhere in this country to get his rightwing lemmings salivating and flustered?

Methinks you should lay off your medication. Why do you feel the need to morph this into an O'Reilly issue? Maybe you are the racist, trying to find any angle to push your agenda. I've heard O'Reilly rag on plenty of those awful white folks.

[Realgirls4me]

Methinks you should lay off your medication. Why do you feel the need to morph this into an O'Reilly issue? Maybe you are the racist, trying to find any angle to push your agenda. I've heard O'Reilly rag on plenty of those awful white folks.


Hmmm, me thinks you're a stupidfuck, and thank you for coming clean on the fact that you actually look to this faux journalist not for laughs or entertainment, but for actual news and information. So anyone calling out this rightwing firebrand and fraud, who incidently, labels himself non-partisan and independent, automatically is asssumed to have an agenda? You sound just like, well, Bill O'Reilly. What a coincidence.

By the way, O'Reilly lemming, how many of those "awful white folks" which you mentioned are in O'Reilly's "Independent" crosshairs happen to be Republican or Conservative? O'Reilly is a closet bigot, a faux journalist, a liar, and a hack for the current administration, and you've just defended him here for all to see. It seems you're the one in need of medication.

Being familiar with both WMC's posts, and O'Reilly's Talking Points and xenophobic nativistic streaks, the two go together like hand and glove, so don't confuse morphing with the superimposing of two like minds: WMC's and Bill O'Reilly's.

Go listen to O'Reilly on this issue and then get back to me, huh.

.

[CockStroker]

America has its head up its ass !!! Why the fuck is the faith of some talentless idiot daughter an important subject? Christ, there is a useless war going on and poor kids dying everyday and we are focused on this BS ??? What a joke America has become...

You'll get no argument from me there. Why, for example, cover where your tax dollars go, or how they're abused and wasted, when there is a Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan around to fill our TV screens?

Maybe it has something to do with "Criticism of the american way of life is unamerican" and that's why it's mostly banned from the media (because "unamerican" media does not sell commercial spots and looses viewers).

[LG]

Being familiar with both WMC's posts, and O'Reilly's Talking Points and xenophobic nativistic streaks, the two go together like hand and glove...

True. I don't believe that WMC ever made a post that didn't have a political slant. That said, he actually made me laugh with that Chewbacca joke.

So maybe he's mellowed? But probably not.

As for Paris Hilton, who gives a shit? I have more important things to do than read about her.

[lumberjack]

Hmmm, me thinks you're a stupidfuck, and thank you for coming clean on the fact that you actually look to this faux journalist not for laughs or entertainment, but for actual news and information. So anyone calling out this rightwing firebrand and fraud, who incidently, labels himself non-partisan and independent, automatically is asssumed to have an agenda? You sound just like, well, Bill O'Reilly. What a coincidence.

By the way, O'Reilly lemming, how many of those "awful white folks" which you mentioned are in O'Reilly's "Independent" crosshairs happen to be Republican or Conservative? O'Reilly is a closet bigot, a faux journalist, a liar, and a hack for the current administration, and you've just defended him here for all to see. It seems you're the one in need of medication.

Being familiar with both WMC's posts, and O'Reilly's Talking Points and xenophobic nativistic streaks, the two go together like hand and glove, so don't confuse morphing with the superimposing of two like minds: WMC's and Bill O'Reilly's.

Go listen to O'Reilly on this issue and then get back to me, huh.


Man, do you have anger issues. You get all lathered up at the mention of the name O'Reilly and feel the need to insult me when I point out the flaw in your Baca theory. You lost your argument when you got into the ranting and slurring, but that's typical when you got nothing to go on.

[TJT]

Bill O'Reilly is 12 feet tall,made of fire,and shoots laser beams from his orifices. He is infallible.

One day,he and Sean Hannity will move to Hawaii,marry, and begat a race of beings that have only mouths and survive on hot air. Jesus will return and worship them.

Amen.

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

http://bp1.blogger.com/_2EVRSbS-DF8/RmpbkNplmwI/AAAAAAAACvY/LEIJ0xLDL3o/s400/paris-hilton-crying.jpg

hehehe

[Realgirls4me]

Man, do you have anger issues. You get all lathered up at the mention of the name O'Reilly and feel the need to insult me when I point out the flaw in your Baca theory. You lost your argument when you got into the ranting and slurring, but that's typical when you got nothing to go on.

Anger issues? You insult me. I fire back. And I'm the one with issues? What flaw did you point out, clown? You did nothing of the sort.

And no, it is impossible to lose an argument to one who either defends or is a disciple of the likes of Bill O'Reilly. Impossible.