Flash Back: Full Disclosure Network® Mini-Documentary Video (8 min)

Producers T. J. Johnston and Leslie Dutton

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® is re-releasing an historical “Mini Documentary” video providing background and commentary on this “alternative news” network that has been billed as “the news behind the news” and is distributed to 45 community cable channels throughout California and expanding to other states including: Washington D.C., Manhattan NY, York PA, San Antonio TX, Framingham MA, St. Paul MN, Waterloo WI and video streaming world-wide from the Internet.

This eight minute “Mini Documentary” features video clips of prominent officials and controversial guests who have appeared on the Full Disclosure® shows over the past seventeen years on this independent, non-profit, news program. Appearing in the video are:

MINI DOCUMENTARY

L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley

Ramona Ripston, Executive Director ACLU,
LAPD Chief William Bratton
Larry Flynt, Publisher Hustler Magazine
Former U. S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, III
L. A. County Sheriff Lee Baca
Stephen Yagman, Civil Rights Attorney
L. A. Councilman Bernard Parks
Nativo Lopez, President MAPA
LAPD Assistant Chief David Gascon (ret)
David Cartwright, Sr. Partner, O’Melveny & Myers
Don Mullinax, LAUSD Inspector General
Roger Carrick, Special Legal Counsel LAUSD Inspector General,
James B. Reidy, Jr. Professor Emeritus L.A. Pierce College
Kathy Dreyfuss, ACLU Staff Attorney

In 1992 the independent Full Disclosure Network® program began it’s unorthodox climb to prominence, starting on one public access cable channel in Santa Monica, expanding throughout California to world-wide presence on the Internet. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented host Leslie Dutton with a public affairs Emmy Award for the 2001 Series entitled “L. A.’s War Against Terrorism”. In 2008 Full Disclosure producers Leslie Dutton and T J Johnston received an Emmy nomination for the series covering the Federal prosecution of Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona.

Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption: Powerful Friends Support Judges Bid To Keep Double Benefits (Video 7 min)

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure Network® presents a seven minute preview video featuring excerpts from Part 3 and 4 from an on going series entitled “Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption.” These two new episodes feature Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch attorney, whose 2008 successful lawsuit found the L.A. County’s payments of double benefits to Judges was unlawful. (Sturgeon vs County of Los Angeles).

The San Diego Appellate Court decision in favor of the Judicial Watch lawsuit was upheld when the Supreme Court refused to hear it. However, in this series Norris describes the behind the scenes court maneuvers conducted by the California Judiciary that is apparently determined to retain the illegal benefits, while serving as employees of the State of California.

Here are few of the points made by Norris in the two new episodes:

• Failure of California Judges to disclose receipt of payments from counties either to the parties involved in lawsuits or on their economic interest disclosures.


• In the last ten years each of the 600 Judges in L.A. have received $350,000 in illegal payments.


• L.A. Superior Court hired a lobbyist for $60,000 to sponsor SBX211 legislation. Has the Superior Court hired lobbyists before?


• SBX211 (part of the Feb. 2009 Budget Bill) legalized retroactively the judicial double benefits and


• SBX211 provided retroactive criminal and liability immunity from prosecution to the Judges and County officials involved in the payments of public money. Norris asks why? They must have thought crimes were involved.


• Have the L. A. Superior Court ever intervened in any other lawsuit, as they have with this issue of double benefits?


• Judicial mind-set and integrity questioned as the battle over wages escalated.


• Legal and law enforcement forces step forward to fight for judicial double benefits, ignore conflict and judicial bias potential


• Major forces on record defending double benefits to Judges: L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley, County Public Defender, All Bar Associations, big law firms who appear before the Judges. Norris asks, did the Court stop to think about a resulting bias and prejudice?

Los Angeles District Attorney, & Superior Court Refuse to Deport Illegal Gangs: Watch Internet Video News Blog (3 min)

Los Angeles, CA -- The L.A. County District Attorney and the L. A Superior Courts have declined immigration enforcement actions such as deportation of criminal alien gang members, as a matter of policy.

The Full Disclosure Network® is releasing a three minute Video News Blog, featuring statements from the official spokespersons for the Superior Court and the District Attorney's office who tells Full Disclosure that "our prosecutions don't have anything to do with immigration policy".

Much like the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Order 40 "don't ask, dont' tell" policy, the Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman, Geri Ann Haslet states their policy is "we do not treat undocumented persons any differently than anyone else".

The Full Disclosure Network® Video News Blog provides insight into the hands off policy of local law enforcement and the courts where illegal criminal aliens apparently have equal rights and protections under the law. This Video News Blog is featured on the Full Disclosure Network website at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/ and is to be featured on 45 cable television channels as part of a Video News Blog Special Series.

Steve Ipsen, President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, who is a critic of the hands off immigration policy, told Full Disclosure that "illegal alien gang members who are released from jail, on probation in Los Angeles County, must have the approval of the District Attorney's office and in fact are ordered by the Courts to stay in the United States and to obtain employment".

Following the March 2, 2008 murder of a popular high school football star, Jamiel Shaw, II, a criminal gang member by the name of Pedro Espinosa, was arrested for the crime. Espinosa had been early released from L. A. County jail after service four months on assault and weapons charges.

Neither the District Attorney’s office or the Courts raised any questions as to whether or not he should be removed from the country. The L. A. County Sheriff’s Department failed to notify Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Espinosa was in the country illegally.

Distric Attorney Corruption?: Two Views On DA Cooley's Record On Cable TV LA 36 Sunday & Monday

Los Angeles, CA Is it a co-incidence that it has been almost 20 years, since the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office prosecuted a big dollar, white collar crime? Or could it be there are no more big corruption cases or major crimes committed by powerful and prominent people in Los Angeles?

In a Full Disclosure Network® two-part series Steve Ipsen, President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (L. A. County) and Albert Robles, Constitutional Attorney who serves as an elected member of the So. California Water Replenishment Board both contend that corruption is alive and well in Los Angeles County.

Watch this program on L. A. Cable Channel 36 as follows:

Sunday, May 18th 8-9 p.m.

Monday, May 19th 4-5 p.m.

Internet: Preview & Six Segments from links below

These two challengers running against incumbent L A County District Attorney Steve Cooley in the June 2008 election, point out that the current DA has refused to prosecute the rich and powerful while successfully lobbying for a $55,000 pay raise bringing his salary to $292,300, making him one of the highest-paid government officials anywhere. Steve Cooley declined to be interviewed for this program and refused to provide a videotaped statement on the issues raised.

Watch this seven minute preview from the series that is featured on 45 cable systems and the internet. The full two-part programs will be available for viewing (for a limited time up to the election) from the Full Disclosure website from the following links:

• Preview-Summary (7:30 min)
  
• Segment #1 (8 min)Candidates provide background on their careers and qualifications. They present a summary of issues for why they are running against the Incumbent DA Steve Cooley.
  
• Segment #2 (8 min)Candidates discuss why Steve Cooley is not participating in the U. S. Department of Justice Gang Initiative and address the following issues:
  DA non-action policy on deporting illegal alien gang members
  Mexican Drug Cartels in City of Cudahy
  Impact of Criminal Defense lobby on DA prosecution policies
  DA Cooley's campaign contributions from Criminal Defense lobby


• Segment #3 (8 min)Candidates describe the failures and demoralization of the DA's office, and of DA Investigators as body guards and chauffeurs for questionable personal activities.


• Segment #4 (8 min)Both candidates noted the following:
  DA's refusal to prosecute pedophile priests in the Catholic Church
  DA's non-prosecution policies of powerful people, i.e. Board of Supervisors
  Called DA's pay raise "pay back" for looking the other way.
  Ethics Violation: Cooley called Jury members "stupid" following the Blake Verdict


• Segment #5 (8 min)Candidates detail issue where there is Corruption in the DA's office:
  Belmont Learning Center scandal
  Criminal Defense Attorneys influence
  DA disbanded environmental crimes unit
  Manipulated cases by transfer of expert Deputies


• Segment #6 (8 min)Video disclosure of how DA Investigators were used to conduct an unofficial and unauthorized investigation. Candidates describe DA's failure to investigate MacArthur Park beatings gross negligence at Martin Luther King Hospital.

Challengers Quotes on DA Cooley’s record:

Steve Ipsen:“The corruption that exists in the county that I'm aware of, that I can state here today is with the District Attorney's office.”“This DA doesn't deserve to be paid when he isn't doing his job.”
Albert Robles:“He has refused to prosecute the pedophiles and child molesters that work and still work in the Catholic Church”.“Steve Cooley takes untold amounts of money from the criminal defense sector”.

This series is featured on 45 cable systems starting May 14, 2008. A complete listing of channels and airtimes, by community can be found from this link.

L. A. District Attorney & Sheriff Politics Kill Gangs, Drugs & Immigration Conference

DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEVE COOLEY
FULL DISCLOSURE® IS SPONSORED BY THE CITIZENS PROTECTION ALLIANCE A NON-PROFIT, EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Los Angeles, CA Organizers of the September 5-7th law enforcement training conference on “Gangs, Drugs, & Immigration” scheduled to be held at the Westin Los Angeles Bonaventure Hotel, have announced the event has been cancelled due to political infighting attributed to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. This was to have been the first-ever law enforcement training conference sponsored by citizens for both prosecutors and law enforcement officers.

The scheduled instructors who were to conduct the training are top experts in their field and long-time POST certified instructors, recognized by the California Commission on Police Standards & Training (POST) and representatives from the Orange County District Attorney's Gang Injunction programs and Asian Gang Investigators. In addition, the U. S. Border Patrol was to make a presentation on border violence.

• L.A. D.A. Office Interferes: "We were unable to muster support and cooperation from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department (LASD) who had pledged to participate in the event,” claims conference organizer T. J. Johnston, Executive Director of the Citizens Protection Alliance. He said the problems started when the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office raised objections to the event.
• Conflict With The L.A. County District Attorney? Johnston said the first indication of dissention came on June 21st when the CPA received an E-mail from Sheriff Leroy Baca’s staff raising the issue of a possible “conflict” with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the ADDA, another co-sponsoring organization. “The L. A. County Sheriff's Department (LASD) had pledged to promote the conference via their internal communication system known as ‘JDIC’, but once the L. A. County District Attorney’s conflict surfaced, Sheriff Baca's support quickly evaporated.” Johnston said

L.A.D.A.'s Interference Cited By CPA's Johnston:

• “The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office contacted the California Commission on Police Officer & Training (POST), and in a series of email messages, falsely stated that the conference did not have the support of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and raised concerns about the 'legitimacy' of the seminar,” Johnston said.
• Two District Attorney (automobile fraud) Investigators from the DA’s Commerce Office appeared at the CPA office on Friday, July 5th flashing badges to find out who provided the e-mail list of L A. District Attorneys regarding the sending out of the announcements of the law enforcement training conference. They claimed the taxpayer funded e-mail list was “private”.
• The second week in July Baca’s Chief of Staff verbally notified the CPA that Sheriff Baca was withdrawing all support and participation from the event.
• In addition to the CPA--a non-profit community organization--the four other organizations letters of support and co-sponsorship are listed here: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the California District Attorney’s Association and the Deputy District Attorney’s Association

"Even though the Orange County Sheriff and the two District Attorney’s Associations continued their co-sponsorship, LASD’s withdrawal effectively killed the conference by cancelling their support to obtain the POST credentials. Therefore the conference has been cancelled due to the D.A.'s interference and the LASD's unexplained withdrawal of their sponsorship and support." Johnston said. # # # #