California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Thursday announced she has launched civil rights investigations of the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
The DOJ investigation is as much a result of high-profile police shootings in Bakersfield, like the recent death of 73-year old Francisco Serna — an unarmed dementia patient — as it is the dogged determination of victims’ families to see change, Meiselas said.
A 73-year-old man who was shot dead by police in southwest Bakersfield early Monday was unarmed, according to multiple reports.
In April 2004, the DOJ suggested policy changes in a 19-page letter to the department and BPD began making those changes including some in its use-of-force and officer-involved shootings policies.
Lawyers, victims’ families and nonprofit groups have created local alliances that have been calling for more accountability within law enforcement.
attends a press conference held by Los Angeles attorney Ben Meiselas at Ramirez's home in Bakersfield concerning the decision by California Attorney General Kamala Harris to have the California Department of Justice investigate the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Sheriff's office in deaths involving those law enforcement agencies. Ramirez's son, Jorge Ramirez Jr., was killed in a shooting involving the Bakersfield Police Department.
The statement from Martin’s office said that the Bakersfield Police Department will also cooperate fully with the investigation.
In December 2016, DOJ began a civil investigation to determine whether BPD had engaged in a pattern or practice of violating state or federal law. The investigation was informed by complaints made by individuals and community organizations, as well as by media reports, which alleged the use of excessive force and other serious misconduct. After a comprehensive investigation, DOJ concluded that BPD failed to uniformly and adequately enforce the law, leading to a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives residents of constitutional protections. Specifically, DOJ alleges in its complaint that BPD’s conduct resulted in the use of unreasonable force, as well as unreasonable stops, searches, arrests, and seizures. The investigation also identified other violations, including failure to exercise appropriate management and supervision; the use of unreasonable deadly force against individuals with a mental health disability and those undergoing a mental health crisis; failure to provide meaningful access to police services to individuals with limited English proficiency; failure to provide equal employment opportunities; failure to adequately maintain a meaningful program to address civilian complaints; and the lack of a comprehensive community policing program.
Ensure stops, searches, and seizures comply with the law, as part of an effective overall crime prevention strategy that does not contribute to counter-productive tension with the community;
Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry speaks during a virtual press conference on the conclusion of an investigation into BPD by the Attorney General's Office.
You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.
In a civil complaint, the attorney general alleged BPD engaged in a pattern of unreasonable force, stops, searches and seizures and failed to exercise appropriate supervision, in addition to other violations.
During the press conference, BPD Chief Greg Terry denied the attorney general's accusations, but said the department would work to uphold the agreement between the city and the state.
This was the first large Multi-Victim Multi-Offender (MVMO) child abuse case in North America. It was centered in Bakersfield and Kern County, CA. Two couples, Alvin & Debbie McCuan and Scott & Brenda Kniffen, were tried in 1983, found guilty, and given centuries-long jail sentences.
All four defendants were convicted and received long sentences. Margie Grafton and her boyfriend Tim Palomo had their convictions overturned after eight years in jail by a California Appellate Court. The basis for dismissal was that a psychiatric profile which suggested that she was innocent was kept from the jury. They have not been retried. If they were retried at this time, the result would undoubtedly be an acquittal. The children's testimony could be easily shown to be suspect; there is no hard evidence to show that they are guilty, and no hard evidence to show that abuse actually occurred. Grant Self and John Stoll continued to rot in prison. 6,7
Victor, referring to the police interrogation, explained: " I just kept saying nothing happened. They just kept asking the same questions over and over. "
" He created a cover story that he had been a drug runner. A fellow prisoner had visited the prison law library and found out about Stoll's case. But before he could spread the information, he was involved in a prison riot and relocated. In early 2004, nineteen years after the charges were brought, John Stoll remained the only one still held in prison out of the 39 persons who had been convi cted of sexual child abuse . At the age of 60, he had spent most of the previous two decades in jail.
She asked the Social Services Department make a surprise inspection. The social worker, Betty Palko, found no major infractions and took no action to revoke the license.
Brian Kniffen later recanted, and said that he had been told what to say at the trial and had been promised that he could be with his parents again if he cooperated. His brother Brandon has also recanted. They have stated that the abuse never occurred and that they were led and coerced to testify as they did.
Barbour's medical records into the trial. This evidence is believed to have convinced the Kern County District Attorney to drop charges against the couple. The medical records were then sealed and not permitted to be used by he defense in the subsequent trial of the McCuans and Kniffens.
On Monday, while announcing reforms to reduce police violence, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra specifically called out the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s Office for patterns of troubling behavior.
Now, Attorney General Becerra is looking to the 8 Can’t Wait campaign for police reform.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGET) -- The state's highest court, in reviewing a Kern County case, has ruled prosecutors can't use hearsay testimony from an expert witness to prove a requirement necessary for gang enhancements.