LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca (all times local):
11 a.m.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said it was “an interesting day” after a judge ordered him to serve a three-year prison sentence for obstructing a federal probe into abuses in the jails he ran.
The 74-year-old walked out of federal court in Los Angeles on Friday after the judge handed down his sentence. He was ordered to turn himself in on July 25.
Baca’s attorney, Nathan Hochman, says his client served the residents of Los Angeles County “with all his might, with all his heart” for 48 years.
Hochman pinned a small sheriff’s badge on Baca’s suit jacket, saying it symbolized his legacy.
He wouldn’t immediately say if Baca would appeal the sentence.
Baca says he was honored to have served as sheriff and thanked his attorneys and supporters.
10:35 a.m.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been ordered to turn himself in on July 25 to begin serving a three-year federal prison sentence for obstructing an FBI investigation into abuses in the jails he ran.
Baca was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson, who said he would have imposed a five-year sentence except for Baca’s diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease and his years of public service.
The judge, however, took exception to a defense contention that Alzheimer’s is a sentence of its own.
Anderson said that as awful as Alzheimer’s disease is, it is not a criminal penalty.
The judge said Alzheimer’s disease is not a “get out of jail card.”
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10:09 a.m.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been sentenced to three years in prison for obstructing an FBI investigation into abuses in the jail system he ran.
Baca was sentenced Friday after his attorney made a plea for mercy because the 74-year-old is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and because of his otherwise distinguished 48-year career.
Prosecutors had asked for a two-year prison term because Baca was atop a conspiracy to obstruct justice in an investigation that focused on corruption in the nation’s largest jail system. Baca had faced up to 20 years in federal prison.
Defense lawyer Nathan Hochman asked the judge to allow Baca to remain free while he appeals the jury verdict on three convictions.
Hochman plans to challenge several unfavorable rulings the judge made against Baca prior to two trials.
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12:08 a.m.
The longtime lawman who oversaw the Los Angeles jail system is facing a lengthy term behind bars.
Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca is being sentenced Friday for obstructing a federal investigation into abuses and corruption in the nation’s largest jail system.
The 74-year-old Baca who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is asking a judge to sentence him to probation. Federal prosecutors propose a two-year prison term.
The decision will fall to a federal judge who can imprison Baca for up to 20 years. The judge previously rejected a plea deal as too lenient because it called for Baca to serve no more than 6 months behind bars.
The defense is asking that any sentence be delayed to appeal unfavorable rulings the judge made against Baca.
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