Policies & Practices Evaluation Committe Report, Orange County District Attorney, 2015
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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY INFORMANT POLICIES & PRACTICES EVALUATION COMMITTEE REPORT DECEMBER 30, 2015 3790863.1 Patrick Dixon Robert Gerard Blithe Leece Laurie Levenson The Honorable James Smith (Ret.) IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 I. INTRODUCTION In 2014, a highly publicized controversy unfolded in the Orange County Superior Court regarding the use of jailhouse informants. The controversy initially focused on a case entitled People v. Scott Dekraai, Orange County Superior Court Case No. 12ZF0128. Dekraai involved a mass shooting in Seal Beach, California, on October 12, 2011. During the course of the Dekraai case, the deputy public defender assigned to the case noticed significant discrepancies in discovery produced by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) involving a jailhouse informant in the Orange County jail. A series of motions followed, and Judge Thomas Goethals, who was presiding over the case, issued a ruling on August 4, 2014 (Exhibit No. 1). That ruling provides an overview of the issues and allegations. Subsequently, the Public Defender brought additional information to the attention of the court, and Judge Goethals issued a supplemental ruling on March 12, 2015 (Exhibit No. 2). The court proceedings led to national press coverage regarding the use of jailhouse informants, and resulted in an examination of numerous other past and pending Orange County prosecutions. The press coverage included allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in other cases by the OCDA and allegations of violations of the constitutional rights of criminal defendants by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and other law enforcement agencies. Specifically, there were allegations that a “conspiracy” regarding jailhouse informants existed between the OCDA’s Office and the OCSD for over 30 years, leading to the systemic1 deprivation of constitutional rights of criminal defendants in Orange County. In response to the controversy, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas assembled a group of lawyers independent of his office and a retired Judge to examine the OCDA policies and practices regarding the use of jailhouse informants. The committee, the Informant Policies & Practices Evaluation Committee (IPPEC), promptly convened to conduct its evaluation. Its members include retired Orange County Superior Court Judge James Smith, retired Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney Patrick R. Dixon, former Orange County Bar Association President Robert Gerard, and ethics law and professional responsibility attorney Blithe Leece. The IPPEC requested that legal scholar and ethics expert Professor Laurie Levenson of Loyola Law School advise the IPPEC on various ethics issues involved in its evaluation. The IPPEC conducted a six-month evaluation. At its first meeting, it identified its mission statement: To conduct a thorough review and assessment of the OCDA policies and practices regarding the use of jailhouse informants. Following such review, prepare a report containing recommendations to the District Attorney regarding the OCDA use of jailhouse informants to assist the District Attorney in ensuring that the OCDA policies and practices, and its interactions with its law enforcement partners, are lawful. The report should include an analysis of current issues regarding adherence to relevant law and should include workable suggestions 1 At the IPPEC’s request, the OCDA surveyed its office and provided felony filing numbers and jailhouse informant numbers as of early December 2015. As of early December, jailhouse informants appear to have been used for Grand Jury, Preliminary Hearing or Trial purposes in 3 of 8625 felony filings by the OCDA (.034%). If one includes all cases in which a law enforcement agency used a jailhouse informant and a criminal case was filed, the number is between 35 and 40 (approximately .463% of felony filings). While these numbers may not be exact given the lack of a formal tracking process, they appear to be accurate based on the internal OCDA survey requested by the IPPEC. 1 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 regarding training of OCDA personnel and its law enforcement partners to ensure that applicable law is followed. OCDA: Having completed its evaluation, the IPPEC hereby makes the following recommendations to the • No. 1: Revise OCDA policies and procedures regarding the use of jailhouse informants. • No. 2: Establish a Confidential Informant Review Committee (CIRC) with defined protocols and include an “outside” or independent member on the CIRC. • No. 3: Overhaul the OCDA training program, with extensive additional training regarding discovery obligations and the use of jailhouse informants. • No. 4: Coordinate with the OCSD and all law enforcement agencies in Orange County regarding jailhouse informant protocols and procedures, including OCDA’s Jailhouse Informant Policy, and engage in detailed training on the Orange County Informant Index (OCII). • No. 5: Restructure and combine into one unit the OCDA Gang Unit and Target Unit. • No. 6: Establish an OCDA Conviction Integrity Unit. • No. 7: Establish an OCDA Chief Ethics Officer position. • No. 8: Reinstate the Chief Assistant District Attorney position. • No. 9: Eliminate “Chief of Staff” position and create a position of “Assistant District Attorney for Media Relations.” • No. 10: Appoint an independent “monitor” for a three-year period to oversee OCDA compliance with the IPPEC’s recommendation. Some of these recommendations have already been provided to the OCDA at his request and are being implemented. These recommendations, and the reasoning underlying the recommendations, are set forth in this Report and are respectfully submitted to the OCDA. II. ROLE OF THE PROSECUTOR The primary responsibility of state and local government is public safety. The duty of a prosecutor is to do justice. As the United States Supreme Court stated in Berger v. United States (1935) 295 U.S. 78, 88: “The [prosecutor] is a representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all; and whose interest, therefore, in a criminal prosecution is not that it shall win a case, but that justice shall be done. As such, the [prosecutor] is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant of the law, the twofold aim of which is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer. [A prosecutor] may prosecute with earnestness and vigor -- indeed, he should do so. But, while he may strike hard blows, he is not at liberty to strike foul ones. It is as much his duty to refrain from improper methods calculated to produce a wrongful conviction as it is to use every legitimate means to bring about a just one.” III. SCOPE OF REVIEW The IPPEC’s scope of review was limited to publicly available documents, including over 2,000 pages of legal briefs in various pending cases involving confidential informants, and voluntary interviews 2 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 with over 75 individuals, including prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, judges, and law enforcement officers, who have knowledge about the OCDA and/or the use of jailhouse informants. The IPPEC also reviewed some internal OCDA training materials. However, the IPPEC did not have subpoena power to obtain and review documents which were not voluntarily produced, or to compel individuals to speak with the IPPEC, or to question individuals under penalty of perjury. The work of the IPPEC is therefore more accurately characterized as an evaluation, rather than an investigation. Although the members of the IPPEC come from different legal backgrounds, each has extensive experience in evaluating and investigating various legal matters. Yet, without subpoena power, the IPPEC cannot represent that it has “investigated” and uncovered the truth as to what may or may not have occurred in individual cases involving the use of jailhouse informants. As will be seen in this Report, the IPPEC evaluation identified numerous deficiencies in both supervision and training at the OCDA which contributed to the jailhouse informant issues. The IPPEC’s recommendations are targeted to eliminate these deficiencies. Finally, in addition to the recommendations listed above, the IPPEC recommends that the jailhouse informant controversy in Orange County be investigated by an entity with document subpoena power and the ability to compel witnesses to be questioned under oath. The Orange County Grand Jury, the California Attorney General, or the United States Department of Justice are possible entities with such power. This recommendation is not meant to suggest that the IPPEC has reached any conclusion regarding any allegations of criminal wrongdoing. It is worth noting that almost every member of the OCDA’s Office who was interviewed said that he or she would welcome an investigation and was confident the investigation would find, with perhaps one or two outliers, no intentional misconduct by a member of the OCDA’s Office. The IPPEC respectfully suggests that at a minimum, the OCDA request that an Investigative Grand Jury conduct such an inquiry to demonstrate transparency and foster confidence in the Orange County criminal justice system. IV. OVERVIEW OF APPLICABLE LAW The following case law and statutes are relevant to the IPPEC’s inquiry: Evidence Code Section 1040, Privilege for Official Information. Evidence Code section 1040 outlines which public entities may claim a privilege for official information which if disclosed violates a Federal or State statute, or when disclosure is against the interest of the public and the publics’ interest outweighs the interest of justice in disclosure of the information. Evidence Code Section 1041, Privilege for Identity of Informer. Evidence Code section 1041 states which public entities may refuse to disclose a person’s identity when they have provided information of a violation of the law, and to prevent another party from disclosing the informer’s identity. Two conditions must apply in order to prevent disclosure: one, disclosure violates a Federal or State statute; and two, disclosure of the informant’s identity is against the interest of the public, and the publics’ interest outweighs the interest of justice in disclosure of the informant’s identity. The statute further clarifies that the privilege only applies if the information is provided to specific government agencies, or by a private citizen with the intent that it be transmitted to those agencies. Evidence Code Section 1042, Adverse Findings of Fact in Criminal Proceeding; Specific Cases. Evidence Code section 1042 describes the court process, including the in camera proceeding if applicable, when a public entity legally authorized to claim a privilege does in fact claim a privilege under Evidence Code section 1040 or 1041. 3 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 Penal Code section 1054.1, Disclosure to Defendant. Penal Code section 1054.1 is the statutory authority delineating prosecutors’ constitutional discovery obligations. Penal Code section 1054.7, Time of Disclosure; In Camera Showing of Good Cause for Denial or Regulation of Disclosures. Penal Code section 1054.7 states the time disclosures must be made; defines good cause for late discovery; defines good cause for non-disclosure of evidence; and outlines the in camera hearing to be conducted prior to a judicial order of non-disclosure for good cause. Penal Code section 1111.5, Corroboration of In-Custody Informant. Penal Code section 1111.5 is the statutory embodiment of the corpus delicti rule enunciated in California case law prohibiting the State from pursuing the conviction of a person based upon their uncorroborated confession. This statute states that the uncorroborated testimony of an in-custody informant cannot be used to convict, or find a special circumstance true, or used as a fact in aggravation. Penal Code section 4001.1, In-House Custody Informant. Penal Code section 4001.1 states the statutory limit that an informant can be paid for his/her testimony; and excludes the inclusion of incidental payments from the statutory limit. This Penal Code section also incorporates the holding in Massiah that in-house custody informants cannot take deliberate actions designed to elicit an incrimination response from a defendant. Penal Code section 1191.25, Notification of Victim of Crime Committed by In-Custody Informant Before Testimony. Penal Code section 1191.25 states that the prosecution shall make a good faith effort to contact the victims of the in-house informant’s crimes prior to his testimony. The notice to the victim shall include the prosecution’s intention to provide a benefit to the in-house informant for his testimony. Penal Code section 1127a, Instruction on Testimony of In-Custody Informant. Penal Code section 1127a defines an in-custody informant; provides the language for the cautionary jury instruction on how a jury should view the testimony of an in-custody informant; describes the written statement to be filed with the court by the prosecutor when an in-custody informant testifies stating the consideration given or promised; and defines consideration. Penal Code section 1424.5. Penal Code section 1424.5 goes into effect on January 1, 2016. This Penal Code section permits recusal of a single prosecutor’s “bad faith” Brady violation and recusal of an entire district attorney’s office if “other employees” “participated in” or “sanctioned” the Brady violation in “bad faith” as part of a “pattern and practice.” Case Law The following seminal cases outline the Constitutional principles for the use of statements from jailhouse informants: Massiah v. United States (1964) 377 U.S. 201; United State v. Henry (1980) 447 U.S. 264; Maine v. Moulton (1985) 474 U.S. 159; Kuhlmann v. Wilson (1986) 477 U.S. 436; In re Neely (1993) 6 Cal.4th 901; In re Neely 70 Cal.App.4th 767 (1999); and People v. Fairbank (1997) 16 Cal.4th 1223. Massiah focused on a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel by holding that once a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel has attached, he is denied that right when law enforcement deliberately elicits incriminating statements from him without his lawyer present. Henry further defined what type of conduct is included in the concept of “deliberately elicits” by stating that when an informant develops a relationship of trust and takes actions that would stimulate conversation leading to incriminating statements, then a Massiah violation has occurred. 4 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 Moulton held that law enforcement’s use of the defendant’s accomplice who was wearing a wire transmitter as he discussed the pending charges against both of them violated the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel as the conversation was certain to result in incriminating statements by the defendant. The holding in Kuhlmann demonstrates that an informant who either voluntarily or by agreement reports incriminating statements to the police does not create an automatic Massiah violation. In order for a Massiah violation to occur, the law enforcement agency and the informant must have taken some action designed to cause the defendant to make incriminating statements beyond simply listening. There is no Sixth Amendment violation when law enforcement fortuitously obtains incriminating statements by the defendant after the defendant’s right to counsel has attached. In re Neely (1993) addresses the scope of an agreement between law enforcement and an informant. Neely states that the agreement can be explicit or inferred from facts showing that the parties behaved as though an agreement existed by looking to the past history of conduct between law enforcement and the informant. In re Neely (1999) discusses the suppression of evidence that is obtained as a direct result of a Massiah violation, i.e., the fruit of the poisonous tree analysis. Fairbank involved an informant who relayed voluntary statements made by the defendant to law enforcement despite the fact that law enforcement told the informant that he would not receive consideration for relaying the defendant’s statements. Fairbank pointed to the holding in Kuhlmann, as well as other relevant California case law, in finding there was no Massiah violation. The issues that surround the admission of evidence obtained through a jailhouse informant also necessarily implicate a prosecutor’s obligations under Brady and its progeny. Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83, states that withholding evidence favorable to the defendant as to either guilt or punishment violates a defendant’s due process rights irrespective of the intentions of prosecutors. There is a “duty on the part of the prosecution, even in the absence of a request therefore, to disclose all substantial material evidence favorable to an accused, whether such evidence relates directly to the question of guilt, to matters relevant to punishment, or to the credibility of a material witness.” (People v. Ruthford (1975) 14 Cal.3d 399, 406.) Prosecutors have a duty to disclose exculpatory evidence possessed by, and known to, the law enforcement agencies participating in the case because law enforcement is viewed as part of the prosecution team. (Kyles v. Whitley (1995) 514 U.S. 419.) Prosecutors cannot shield themselves from disclosing exculpatory information by stating that they were unaware the material and exculpatory evidence existed. Prosecutors are under a duty to make reasonable efforts to search within the law enforcement team for exculpatory information. See In Re Brown (1998) 17 Cal.4th 873. Brady and its progeny are fundamental tenets of the criminal justice system. Prosecutors wield the power of the sovereign state; and thus are held to the highest ethical standards. The California Rules of Professional Conduct outline the statutory ethical guidelines that prosecutors and all attorneys licensed in the State of California must follow. Also, the State Bar of California has put on “fast track” the adoption of retitled CPRC 5-110, Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor which closely tracks ABA Model Rule 3.8: Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor.2 2 The prosecutor in a criminal case shall: 5 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 V. EVALUATION PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY The IPPEC used the following process and methodology in its evaluation: • Review and analysis of the Report of the 1989-1990 Los Angeles Grand Jury regarding the investigation of the involvement of jailhouse informants in the criminal justice system in Los Angeles County. This 153-page report provided an outstanding starting point for the IPPEC evaluation and underscored the dangers to the justice system that arise whenever a jailhouse informant is used by law enforcement and/or a prosecuting agency. • Review and analysis of the 2006 California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice Report and Recommendations regarding informant testimony. • Review and analysis of the May 2015 Orange County Office of the District Attorney Operational Audit titled “Improving the Long-Term Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Economy of the Office of the District Attorney.” • Review and analysis of various jailhouse informant policies and procedures of both the (a) refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause; (b) make reasonable efforts to assure that the accused has been advised of the right to, and the procedure for obtaining, counsel and has been given reasonable opportunity to obtain counsel; (c) not seek to obtain from an unrepresented accused a waiver of important pretrial rights, such as the right to a preliminary hearing; (d) make timely disclosure to the defense of all evidence or information known to the prosecutor that tends to negate the guilt of the accused or mitigates the offense, and, in connection with sentencing, disclose to the defense and to the tribunal all unprivileged mitigating information known to the prosecutor, except when the prosecutor is relieved of this responsibility by a protective order of the tribunal; (e) not subpoena a lawyer in a grand jury or other criminal proceeding to present evidence about a past or present client unless the prosecutor reasonably believes: (1) the information sought is not protected from disclosure by any applicable privilege; (2) the evidence sought is essential to the successful completion of an ongoing investigation or prosecution; and (3) there is no other feasible alternative to obtain the information; (f) except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor's action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent investigators, law enforcement personnel, employees or other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal case from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under Rule 3.6 or this Rule. (g) When a prosecutor knows of new, credible and material evidence creating a reasonable likelihood that a convicted defendant did not commit an offense of which the defendant was convicted, the prosecutor shall: (1) promptly disclose that evidence to an appropriate court or authority, and (2) if the conviction was obtained in the prosecutor’s jurisdiction, (i) promptly disclose that evidence to the defendant unless a court authorizes delay, and (ii) undertake further investigation, or make reasonable efforts to cause an investigation, to determine whether the defendant was convicted of an offense that the defendant did not commit. (h) When a prosecutor knows of clear and convincing evidence establishing that a defendant in the prosecutor’s jurisdiction was convicted of an offense that the defendant did not commit, the prosecutor shall seek to remedy the conviction. 6 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 Los Angeles County and Ventura County District Attorney Offices. • Review and analysis of the legal filings and Court Rulings in People v. Scott Dekraai 12ZF0128, People v. Daniel Wozniak, 12ZF0137, and other cases involving two specific informants, Oscar Moriel and Fernando Perez. Some documents and legal briefs were reviewed involving other gang-related cases in which confidential informants were used, including People v. Leonel Vega, 07CF2786, People v. Isaac Palacios 11CF0720, People v. Fabian Sanchez, 11CF0920, People v. Joseph Govey, 12ZF0134, and People v. Brian Isas 11CF2748. • Review the OCDA’s OCII protocols. The OCII is the OCDA’s database of informant information. This database was established to create a system by which prosecutors and law enforcement can learn of credibility and reliability issues surrounding the use of a potential informant. The OCII database facilitates the ability of the prosecution team to carry out its disclosure obligations regarding the informant. Information about the informant, his activities, and any benefits he received is inputted into the database. • Review of the legal briefs and personal observations of some of the live testimony presented on the motion for a new trial filed in People v. Eric Ortiz, 11CF0862 a case that involved many of the same allegations that have been made in other cases involving the use of jailhouse informants. • Personal interviews of over 75 OCDA prosecutors, OCDA investigators, law enforcement officers, criminal defense attorneys, and judges. • Personal interviews of District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchins. VI. SUMMARY OF EVALUATION While the ethical prosecution of criminal charges is of paramount importance to the public, it is of particular and more immediate importance to well-defined groups, including: criminal defendants; crime victims; criminal defense attorneys; prosecutors; judges; juries; families of victims; and the families of the accused. The confidence of these various constituencies in the prosecution of criminal cases in Orange County that involve the use of jailhouse informants has eroded. However, implementation of the recommendations in this Report can serve to restore confidence in the Orange County criminal justice system. During the IPPEC’s evaluation process, dozens of prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys willingly participated in IPPEC interviews. The IPPEC appreciates the time that these lawyers spent with the IPPEC. Many of the criminal defense attorneys interviewed by the IPPEC pointed out the high ethical standards exhibited by many of their opposing counsel from the OCDA’s Office. However, during the evaluation it became clear that over the years, some prosecutors at the OCDA’s Office adopted what the IPPEC will refer to as a win at all costs mentality. This mentality is a problem. Stronger leadership, oversight, supervision, and training can remedy this problem. Key to addressing the problem is changing the culture of the office by not rewarding prosecutors with the “must win” mentality with promotions. Prosecutors’ performance reviews should focus less on winning trials, and reflect greater emphasis on legal knowledge, analysis of issues, and finding justice. What also became clear during the evaluation was that, in many ways, the OCDA’s Office functions as a ship without a rudder. While the high level of trust that the District Attorney has given to 7 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 his senior deputies and supervisors is in many ways admirable and a credit to the experience of those senior deputies and supervisors, there does not appear to be any consistent or clear cultural message emanating from the top down to the bottom of the organization. In short, the office suffers from what is best described as a failure of leadership. This failure appears to have contributed to the jailhouse informant controversy. The management in the office was unaware of the caseloads, use of jailhouse informants, and discovery challenges of Deputy District Attorneys in the Target, Gang, and Homicide Units. The lack of oversight of these serious cases led to repeated legal errors that should have been identified and rectified by management long before the problems reached the current scale. Additionally, the lack of oversight by management at all levels has resulted in implementation of inconsistent procedures and practices. This is an issue that must be acknowledged, shouldered, and remedied by the entire leadership team at the OCDA’s Office, including the District Attorney, Senior Assistant District Attorneys, and the Assistant District Attorneys. In fact, the IPPEC evaluation revealed that the District Attorney himself was unaware of many of the problematic issues that led to the jailhouse informant controversy. The IPPEC evaluation also revealed that, within the OCDA’s Office, there is a palpable hesitation to bring problematic information to the attention of the District Attorney. One readily apparent reason for this hesitation is that senior management at the OCDA is subject to termination without cause. When a Deputy District Attorney 4 accepts a promotion to Assistant District Attorney or Senior Assistant District Attorney they become “at will” employees, and serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney. By accepting these promotions, prosecutors give up all civil service protection. If terminated, these senior prosecutors cannot revert back to their previous civil service protected position of Deputy District Attorney 4. Rather, they must leave the OCDA. Such a policy does not promote the free exchange of ideas on issues facing the OCDA. While the IPPEC recognizes that the District Attorney should have the ability to select his executive staff, we recommend that if these prosecutors are removed from their “at will” positions they should be returned to their previous civil service jobs, not terminated. This lack of job security inhibits the free exchange of ideas among managers. Hopefully a change in the civil service rules will result in more independent (and vocal) thinking by senior management level attorneys. The IPPEC also learned that over the years a certain ambivalence has developed about making suggestions or expressing concerns because, often times, despite acknowledgement of the concern or an expression of thanks for the suggestion, “nothing ever happens or changes.” This ambivalence underscored the need for more robust communication and leadership at the OCDA. 8 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATION NO. 1: REVISE OCDA POLICIES & PROCEDURES REGARDING THE USE OF JAILHOUSE INFORMANTS The OCDA needs a clear and consistent policy regarding its use of jailhouse informants. Below is a suggested policy, the elements of which should be included in any policy adopted by the OCDA. INTRODUCTION It is the policy of the OCDA to carefully evaluate and strictly control the use of jailhouse informants as prosecution witnesses. The use of a jailhouse informant as a witness involves significant risks to the integrity of this office and fair administration of justice. It is the policy of this office that the use of a jailhouse informant as a witness in a criminal prosecution will be the rare and infrequent exception. Accordingly, the District Attorney, as Chair of the Confidential Informant Review Committee (CIRC), must give prior approval to the use of any jailhouse informant as a witness in a criminal prosecution or a grand jury hearing. Strong corroborating evidence is required to demonstrate that a jailhouse informant is offering truthful testimony. A trial deputy who wishes to call a jailhouse informant as a witness must comply with all relevant state and federal statutes and the legal policies of this office. OFFICE POLICY A jailhouse informant is a person other than a co-defendant, percipient witness, accomplice or co-conspirator whose testimony is based upon statements made by the defendant while both the defendant and the jailhouse informant are in a custodial setting. (Penal Code section 1127a.) This policy includes all jailhouse informants, whether or not they seek leniency or any other benefit from this office or other law enforcement officials in return for their testimony. An informant witness in a so-called "Perkins Operation" (Illinois v. Perkins (1990) 496 U.S. 292, 294) is deemed to be a jailhouse informant for the purpose of this policy and must be approved by the CIRC prior to being called to testify in a criminal prosecution or a grand jury hearing. A prosecutor shall notify his/her supervisor immediately when the prosecutor becomes aware that a potential jailhouse informant has come forward and offered his or her cooperation to this office or any law enforcement agency. No jailhouse informant shall be called to testify to a defendant's oral statements, admission, or confession unless strong evidence corroborates the truthfulness of the jailhouse informant's statements. This evidence must consist of more than the fact that the jailhouse informant appears to know details about the crime thought to be known only to law enforcement officials. It shall be the responsibility of the CIRC to determine if and when a prosecutor may offer the testimony of a jailhouse informant in a criminal prosecution or a grand jury hearing. The CIRC shall consider the factors set forth in this policy in determining whether to approve the use of a jailhouse informant. The members of the CIRC shall include: the District Attorney, the Senior Assistant District 9 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 Attorneys, the Assistant District Attorney of the Gang Unit, and the Assistant District Attorney of the Homicide Unit. The District Attorney, at his or her discretion, may appoint one additional temporary member to the CIRC for a term of six months on a rotating basis. This temporary member shall be either a Deputy District Attorney or an Assistant District Attorney who has significant jury trial experience. The District Attorney shall also appoint a retired judge or a neutral individual as a permanent member of the CIRC. The District Attorney shall serve as chair of the CIRC and may designate a Senior Assistant District Attorney as the acting chair in the District Attorney's absence. A trial deputy who wishes to call a jailhouse informant as a witness in a criminal prosecution or a grand jury hearing must obtain prior approval of the CIRC. All such requests must be approved by the trial deputy's supervisor and submitted in writing to the CIRC through the trial deputy's chain of command. The written request to offer the testimony of a jailhouse informant must include the following information: - - - - - the present status of the case in which the jailhouse informant's testimony will be offered, including the crimes charged in the complaint, information, or indictment; a description of how contact was initiated between the jailhouse informant and law enforcement; a description of the facts and circumstances surrounding the jailhouse informant obtaining the defendant's admission/confession; a detailed description of the crime and the evidence (excluding the jailhouse informant's proposed testimony) that supports the charges and/or the special circumstance allegations; the evidence/testimony offered by the jailhouse informant; a description of the evidence that corroborates the jailhouse informant's proposed testimony and whether or not that information was available to the jailhouse informant other than through the statements of the defendant. (e.g., newspaper articles or documents found in the informant's jail cell or in his/her possession); an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution's case with and without the testimony of the jailhouse informant; a complete description of the jailhouse informant's criminal background, including his/her true name, all known aliases, all pending cases in any jurisdiction, all misdemeanor and felony convictions, all arrests and documented law enforcement contacts and any information regarding gang affiliations. The trial deputy should also identify the jailhouse informant's past crime partners and co-defendants and any connection to the defendant in the present case; any benefit promised or given to the jailhouse informant by any member of the prosecution team, including, but not limited to, any law enforcement officer or any employee of the District Attorney's Office on the pending case or any other case in which the jailhouse informant has been a cooperating witness regardless of jurisdiction; 10 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 - - - a description of any prior offers to provide information by the jailhouse informant to law enforcement, whether or not the informant testified, the quality of the testimony and any and all promises made or benefits provided to the informant, whether monetary or otherwise; a description of how the trial deputy intends to comply with Penal Code section 1191.25, which requires the prosecution to make a good faith effort to notify the victims, if any, of any crime which was committed by or alleged to have been committed by the jailhouse informant before the jailhouse informant is called to testify; a draft of the written statement of consideration to be lodged with the trial court pursuant to Penal Code section 1127a(c); and confirmation that the trial deputy has strictly complied with Penal Code sections 4001.1(a) and 4001.1(b). The CIRC shall consider the above factors in its decision to approve or disapprove the use of a jailhouse informant's testimony. The Chair of the CIRC shall notify the requesting trial deputy of the committee's decision in writing. The decision is final and no jailhouse informant may be called to testify as a prosecution witness unless prior approval is given by the CIRC. Once a jailhouse informant who has been authorized by the CIRC testifies, the trial deputy shall submit a memorandum memorializing the event through the chain of command to the Chair of the CIRC. The memorandum shall include: - - the name of the jailhouse informant; the name of the case, the date of the testimony, the court case number, the law enforcement DR number, the OCDA case number of the case in which the jailhouse informant testified and the case numbers of the case or cases in which the jailhouse informant received leniency or any other benefit; a synopsis of the jailhouse informant's testimony and evaluation of its credibility; and a description of any consideration that was provided or will be provided to the jailhouse informant in exchange for the testimony. Should any employee of this office or any member of law enforcement acquire any information that suggests that a jailhouse informant is attempting to fabricate or has fabricated evidence in any case, that employee or law enforcement official shall immediately inform the Chair of the CIRC by a memorandum through his/her chain of command setting forth the relevant facts. Should the trial prosecutor learn during a trial that a jailhouse informant is attempting to fabricate or has fabricated evidence, the prosecutor shall immediately notify the court and defense counsel. The trial prosecutor shall also prepare a memorandum setting forth all the pertinent facts and forward it through his/her chain of command to the Chair of the CIRC. It is the policy of this office that all employees and law enforcement officers have a duty to preserve all records and documents relating to any jailhouse informants. This duty includes any jailhouse informant they have transported, assisted with 11 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 housing, interviewed, or called as a witness. This policy includes, but is not limited to, all notes, memoranda, computer generated documents, any records of promises made, any payments made or rewards given to a jailhouse informant or to any other person for the benefit of the jailhouse informant. It is the policy of this office that all prosecutors and investigators shall be familiar with the statutory law relating to jailhouse informants and shall comply with all provisions, including: - - - - - - no law enforcement official shall give, offer, or promise to give any monetary payment in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) in return for an a jailhouse informant's testimony in any criminal proceeding (Penal Code section 4001.1(a)); the trial deputy shall make a good faith effort to notify the victims, if any, of any crime that was committed by, or alleged to have been committed by, the jailhouse informant before the jailhouse informant is called to testify (Penal Code section 1191.25); the trial deputy shall file with the court a written accounting of any considerations or benefits promised or given to the jailhouse informant (Penal Code section 1127a(c)); the trial deputy shall request that the court give a cautionary instruction to the jury regarding jailhouse informant testimony (Penal Code section 1127a(b)); except where a defendant's right to counsel has not attached, no law enforcement official and no jailhouse informant may take any action that is designed to elicit incriminating statements from a defendant beyond merely listening to the defendant's statements (Penal Code section 4001.1(b); People v. Clair (1992) 2 Cal.4th 629, 657; Illinois v. Perkins (1990) 496 U.S. 292, 294); and the trial deputy shall comply in all respects with Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83 and all state statutory and ethical discovery rules. 12 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 2: ESTABLISH A CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT REVIEW COMMITTEE (CIRC) WITH DEFINED PROTOCOLS AND INCLUDE AN “OUTSIDE” OR INDEPENDENT MEMBER ON THE CIRC. As discussed in Recommendation No. 1, is it critical that the OCDA continue the use of its recently established CIRC. As previously stated, IPPEC also recommends that there be an “outside” or independent member of the CIRC who participates in all the CIRC confidential informant review meetings. To protect the sanctity of the attorney-client privilege and attorney work-product of the OCDA, this independent member should be appointed by the OCDA as a part-time employee of the OCDA’s Office. Preferably, this independent member of the CIRC should be a retired criminal defense attorney or a retired judge who worked as a criminal defense attorney prior to taking the bench. 13 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 3: OVERHAUL THE OCDA TRAINING PROGRAM, WITH EXTENSIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING REGARDING DISCOVERY OBLIGATIONS AND THE USE OF JAILHOUSE INFORMANTS. The OCDA Training Program is inadequate. IPPEC’s evaluation revealed that the lack of training throughout the OCDA office was a primary contributing factor to the issues involving jailhouse informants. The IPPEC urges the OCDA to recognize that science and technology are changing the way law enforcement does its job. The legal and investigative tools that are best practices today may be changed by a court decision tomorrow. The OCDA must stay on the forefront of these changes. Toward this end, the OCDA must establish and support a full-time training unit, led by an Assistant District Attorney and staffed by some of the best and most experienced prosecutors in the office. The mission of the Training Unit should be to produce relevant and timely legal education to prosecutors and law enforcement officers in Orange County. The unit should also partner with other prosecutorial and law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California to develop the best training possible, and best practices for, criminal prosecution. The Training Division should establish the following programs: A comprehensive multi-week training program for newly hired deputy district attorneys. This program should include criminal law and procedure, discovery, ethics, office policy, calendar management, courtroom presentations, including preliminary hearings, jury trials, and law and motion practice. The prosecutor-instructors must give feedback to the new hires and to the office's executive staff on the progress of the training classes. A graduation and swearing-in ceremony for those lawyers who successfully complete the new prosecutors' training program should be considered to acknowledge their accomplishments. Monthly weekend morning seminars. Prosecutors will receive four hours of compensatory time for their attendance. The seminars will cover criminal law, ethics, evidence, trial tactics, and mandatory State Bar MCLE subjects. Saturday seminars will also focus on office policy, such as the Confidential Informant Review Committee and Brady issues. The Training Division will obtain State Bar approval for all seminars, and attendees will receive State Bar MCLE credits. Office-wide DNA training. The goal of this training is to educate staff on the latest DNA science and prepare every prosecutor to present DNA evidence to a judge or jury. Within one year, every deputy district attorney will be expected to complete this training. Office-wide AB 109 (Realignment) and Proposition 47 training. The enactment of AB 109 and Proposition 47 have dramatically changed the landscape of the criminal justice system. The realignment as to where felony inmates are housed and the sentencing of new felons has changed the way the criminal courts dispense justice. The impact of these laws are not just felt in felony courts. In many counties, AB 109 and Proposition 47 have changed the way misdemeanor crimes are prosecuted and sentenced. Prosecutors must have the latest, up to the minute knowledge of how to deal with these changes in the justice system. All deputy district attorneys will be required to complete this one day training. Domestic Violence Prosecution College. Domestic violence is one of the most devastating crimes in our society. It can be a difficult crime to prosecute and often presents challenges to law enforcement officers, as well as prosecutors. This training will present the latest techniques for successfully prosecuting these crimes while dealing fairly with all parties. Felony Prosecution and Sentencing College. For deputies moving from prosecuting 14 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 misdemeanors to the Felony Panel, felony trials can be a challenging area of the law. This college will prepare prosecutors for this assignment in such areas as calendar management, felony sentencing and the impact of AB 109, prosecutorial discretion and the three-strikes law, victim's rights and Megan's Law, mental health issues, law and motion practice and case settlement, and office policy. Completion of this college is required before a prosecutor is assigned to the Felony Panel. Homicide Prosecution College. For most prosecutors, a murder trial is an intense and challenging experience. Homicide trials and capital litigation are complex areas of the law. This training will prepare prosecutors for the most difficult cases of their careers. Among the topics that will be covered are the law of homicide and capital case litigation, pre-trial investigation, jury selection, mental health defenses, opening statement and final argument, presentation of penalty phase evidence, and post-conviction remedies. Successful completion of this college should be a prerequisite to assignment in the Homicide, Gang, and Target units. CIRC/OCII (see below)/Brady training must be a prerequisite to assignment in the Homicide, Gang, or Target Units! One comment that the IPPEC heard repeatedly at various levels throughout the OCDA was the erroneous belief that if a prosecutor does not use a jailhouse informant at a preliminary hearing or a trial, the prosecutor does not need to turn over the statements of the jailhouse informant. This clearly is not the law and the test for Brady is not whether the information is used at a preliminary hearing or at trial. A number of prosecutors within the OCDA appear to be confusing the requirements of Penal Code section 1050 (turning over a criminal defendant’s statements that will be used at trial at least 30 days before trial) with the prosecutor’s discovery obligations under Brady. These two obligations are separate and can create two different discovery productions. OCII Training. Currently the OCII is maintained by one Deputy District Attorney. This Deputy District Attorney inputs all the information received by law enforcement and prosecutors, and notifies prosecutors of witnesses who have an informant history. The current practice in the Office is for this Deputy District Attorney to also train all law enforcement agencies on the protocols and procedures of using the OCII. The OCII is the cornerstone of discovery production regarding jailhouse informants and thus must be reliably maintained. Assigning one Deputy District Attorney to these three essential functions of the OCII and training others on the protocol is inadequate. An additional Deputy District Attorney should be tasked with a regular compliance check on all Orange County prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to verify that the OCII contains all informants’ information, activities, and benefits received. Grand Jury College. The grand jury is one of the most important institutions in our criminal justice system. This college will familiarize prosecutors with the resources of the grand jury; prepare them to be more effective when appearing before this historic institution; and teach prosecutor’s duties of discovery specific to grand jury proceedings. Specific Training Re Relationship and Interaction with Law Enforcement (Particularly for Target Unit and Gang Unit DAs). As a result of its interviews, and observation of the live testimony presented during the hearing on the motion for new trial in People v. Ortiz, the IPPEC strongly recommends that Target Unit and Gang Unit (or preferably a combined unit) deputies receive specific training regarding maintaining an ever-important professional and detached relationship with law enforcement. Particularly in the Target Unit, where deputies are actually embedded in the gang units of certain law enforcement agencies, maintaining an objective and detached relationship is critical. The IPPEC heard from numerous deputies that it is not uncommon for Target Unit deputies to be subject to inappropriate pressure from their law enforcement counterparts to file cases that the deputies were otherwise not comfortable filing. The IPPEC heard reports of deputies being ridiculed and even harassed by law 15 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 enforcement for not being aggressive enough in filing certain gang cases. Additionally, to the degree Target Unit deputies continue to be embedded in the same office space with their law enforcement counterparts, it is inevitable that social relationships and friendships will develop between the Target Unit deputies and their law enforcement counterparts. The IPPEC is strongly of the view that close social and friendship-type relationships between embedded deputies and their direct law enforcement counterparts are fertile ground for deputies (particularly young and impressionable deputies) to have their judgment impacted in a way that does not benefit the constitutional role of the prosecutor. Should the OCDA continue with its practice of embedding Target Unit deputies with law enforcement, the IPPEC urges that there be: specific training regarding maintaining professional distance and detachment; regular rotation (at least every two years) of Target Unit deputies; a careful screening process by which only experienced and more senior deputies are placed in these positions; and a specific process by which a deputy who feels pressured to sway from his or her independent legal judgment has an avenue to express concern to his or her supervisor who in turn will immediately address the matter with the involved law enforcement agency. Develop a Program of "Brown Bag" Lunch-Time Lectures. The lectures should be specifically targeted to meet the needs of individual units in the office. OCDA Management/Leadership Training. It was clear to the IPPEC that while both dedicated and hardworking, the OCDA management and leadership team is not exercising the quality of leadership to run what is essentially the largest law firm in Orange County. Leadership training is needed on how to form a cohesive office that implements and adheres to the same policies and procedures consistently. There is also clearly a need for motivational, leadership, and team building training in the office. 16 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 4: COORDINATE WITH THE OCSD AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN ORANGE COUNTY REGARDING JAILHOUSE INFORMANT PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES, INCLUDING OCDA’S JAILHOUSE INFORMANT POLICY, AND ENGAGE IN DETAILED TRAINING ON THE ORANGE COUNTY INFORMANT INDEX (OCII). Law Enforcement Training. OCDA must have regularly scheduled training with all Orange County Law Enforcement Agencies, including all new hire classes. The training should include, but not be limited to, the following: • The prosecution team’s discovery obligations; • Jailhouse informant statutory and case law; • OCDA’s Jailhouse Informant Policy; and • OCII Protocol and Procedures Training Special Handling and Classification Unit Deputy Sheriffs at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Other than interviewing Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchins, the IPPEC did not interview any individual deputy sheriffs. However, during the IPPEC’s six-month evaluation, based on various legal briefs and testimony in various jailhouse informant related cases, it appeared that the Special Handling and Classifications Unit Deputies lacked training regarding law enforcement’s obligations under both Massiah v. United States and Brady v. Maryland and applicable California laws and ethical standards. These Units at the OCSD should receive detailed specific training regarding the legal issues associated with jailhouse informants. Due to the magnitude of training OCSD and local Orange County police departments, including all new law enforcement hires, a Deputy District Attorney should be assigned to this position. This Deputy District Attorney should also be responsible for ensuring that Brady information held by law enforcement agencies regarding confidential informants is transmitted to the OCII unit for inclusion in the database. 17 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 5: RESTRUCTURE AND COMBINE INTO ONE UNIT THE OCDA GANG UNIT AND TARGET UNIT. Two different units prosecute gang-related cases within the Office - - the Target Unit and the Gang Unit. The Gang Unit prosecutes all gang-related adult felonies and serious juvenile cases. Gang cases can range in severity and complexity, but include a significant number of homicide and death penalty cases. Gang cases often involve multiple defendants, again adding to the complexity of prosecuting these cases. The Target Unit was initiated with grant funds in the early 1990’s to specifically “target” serious gang offenders. Office attorneys and investigators are out-stationed to, and embedded with, local police agencies for the purpose of “targeting” gang members for apprehension and prosecution. The program serves as a partnership between the OCDA’s Office, the Probation Department, and local law enforcement. Although having prosecutors embedded with local law enforcement creates obvious efficiency, it also has the potential to create undue, and at times unfair, pressure on the prosecutor to file cases that he or she does not believe should be filed. The IPPEC is concerned that having Target Unit prosecutors “housed” with law enforcement risks blurring the lines of the objective professional distance required between prosecutors and law enforcement. Both the Target Unit and the Gang Unit prosecute cases that can range in severity and complexity, but include among the most violent and complex cases within the Office. Both units share the same goals and expertise, but they do not collaborate on training or best practices. IPPEC recommends combining the Gang and Target units to provide for greater collaboration on training and best practices. 18 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 6: ESTABLISH AN OCDA CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT. The OCDA should join the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office in establishing a Conviction Integrity Unit (“CIU”) that will be dedicated to reexamining post-conviction claims of innocence. This unit would have responsibility for investigating and evaluating claims of wrongful convictions, including those involving jailhouse informants. Instituting such a unit will improve the OCDA's ability to detect and remedy police and prosecutor mistakes earlier in the judicial process and ensure that those with information regarding improper investigations and prosecutions have a place to come forward with their claims. Establishment of this unit will also signal to the public that the OCDA is open to learning about the mishandling of cases. It will also provide for a neutral group of prosecutors whose job is not simply to defend convictions, but to critically examine whether they were lawfully obtained. 19 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 7: ESTABLISH AN OCDA CHIEF ETHICS OFFICER POSITION. The OCDA should establish a senior position of “Chief Ethics Officer.” This attorney should be an experienced criminal lawyer with particular expertise in professional ethics and discovery obligations. The Chief Ethics Officer should work closely with the supervisor of the Training Unit to enhance the professional integrity of the OCDA. This attorney should be given an employment contract with a duration of at least three years, and the employment contract should specifically protect the attorney in this position from retaliation for bringing matters to the attention of the OCDA. This attorney should establish an internal mechanism for all members of the OCDA and for individuals outside the OCDA’s Office, such as criminal defense attorneys and others, to report possible ethics violations or improprieties by members of the OCDA’s Office. This position should also have the authority to conduct investigations into internal ethical violations, and to make recommendations to the District Attorney regarding discipline for any ethical breaches found. The IPPEC envisions the logistics of such an operation being somewhat analogous to the Chief Ethics Officer and compliance positions established by numerous corporations following the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and recommends that there be such reporting avenues as a 1-800 number and an anonymous reporting mechanism. 20 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 8: REINSTATE CHIEF ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY POSITION. As the second-in-command, a Chief Assistant District Attorney (“CADA”) would assist the District Attorney in the day-to-day management of the office. The Senior Assistant District Attorneys, the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation, the head of the Training Unit, and the Head Supervisor of the office clerical staff would report directly to the CADA. The CADA should take a daily “hands on” approach with the head of the Training Unit. The CADA would chair the Special Circumstance Committee and the CIRC in the District Attorney’s absence and oversee the scheduling and paperwork flow for those committees. The District Attorney may wish to request that the CADA develop a protocol for the review of major cases, perhaps a Major Case Review Committee, to assist the District Attorney in making important decisions for prosecutions of significant import. A few managers expressed the hope that a CADA would bring more structure to the management of the office which in turn would help avoid future issues such as the current jailhouse informant issues. Among addressing numerous other needed management concerns, the CADA should be tasked with implementing the Jailhouse Informant Policy recommended by this Report. 21 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 9: ELIMINATE “CHIEF OF STAFF” POSITION AND CREATE A POSITION OF “ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR MEDIA RELATIONS.” The Chief of Staff position should be re-designated as the Assistant District Attorney for Media Relations, and be staffed with an Assistant District Attorney who will develop a transparent and professional relationship with the press. With one exception, every member of the OCDA’s Office who was interviewed expressed what could only be described as an extreme level of concern regarding the toxic and combative relationship between the OCDA’s Office and the press. While members of the OCDA’s Office were careful not to attack the OCDA Chief of Staff or members of the OCDA Media Relations Unit personally, there is an overwhelming frustration that the OCDA’s Office does not have a more transparent and less hostile relationship with the press. Most members of the OCDA’s Office believe that the jailhouse informant controversy had been greatly overblown because of a lack of transparency, and the fact that the Chief of Staff and Media Relations Unit did not immediately and openly address the issues and the problems in the Dekraai case. The perception of most members of the OCDA’s Office is that the combative relationship between the Chief of Staff and the press only furthered various members of the press, and certain members of the public, to focus on the jailhouse informant issue so that it eventually took on a life of its own, well beyond the level of the actual problems involved in the Dekraai matter and a handful of other cases. While some of the press coverage – including articles, op-eds, and letters to the press – contained inaccurate or unsubstantiated information, the OCDA must shoulder responsibility by its failure to provide straightforward complete answers to press inquiries. 22 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 RECOMMENDATION NO. 10: APPOINT AN INDEPENDENT “MONITOR” FOR A THREE-YEAR PERIOD TO OVERSEE OCDA COMPLIANCE WITH THE IPPEC’S RECOMMENDATIONS. To ensure that the IPPEC’s recommendations are taken seriously, the IPPEC recommends that the OCDA appoint an independent Monitor. The IPPEC suggests that the Monitor be a retired Judge and if asked, the IPPEC would appreciate the opportunity to provide potential nominees for the Monitor position. For at least the next three years, the Monitor should provide an annual report to the public reporting on the OCDA implementation and compliance with the IPPEC recommendations. 23 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 VIII. CONCLUSION While undoubtedly most prosecutors in the OCDA’s Office are ethical and hard working professionals, there are significant issues within the office in the areas of training, supervision, and overall culture. There is an immediate need for stronger leadership, training, supervision, mentoring, and oversight to change the culture. The purpose of the recommendations of the IPPEC is to recognize these issues and to help reinstate the public’s trust and confidence in our system of justice. Each of us on the IPPEC has been honored to participate in this process and remains open to providing further assistance to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the County of Orange. Respectfully submitted, __________________________________ Patrick Dixon ______________________________________ Robert Gerard ______________________________________ Blithe Leece ______________________________________ Laurie Levenson ______________________________________ The Honorable James Smith (Ret.) 24 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 EXHIBIT 1 25 3790863.1 IPPEC Evaluation Committee Report December 30, 2015 EXHIBIT 2 26 3790863.1