After word came down yesterday that former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka would get five years in prison for obstruction of justice, focus shifted to his ex-boss, former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Baca was convicted on charges of lying to federal investigators after cutting a plea deal with prosecutors, part of which stipulated that Baca would serve no more than six months prison in exchange for a guilty plea and a promise not to fight other allegations from the feds.
However, a court filing from released on Monday shows that a government expert who evaluated Baca concluded that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Prosecutors are still calling for Baca to serve the six months, but others say that sentence is too harsh given Baca’s diagnosis.
Guest:
Robert Weisberg, Edwin E. Huddleson, Jr. Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and faculty co-director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center