Plain Old Justice

By John Peccavi

Sheriff's Department Under Investigation

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has announced that his office will be investigating the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department concerning reports of excessive force, abuse of jail inmates and other matters.

The investigators will be looking for a "pattern or practice" of such civil rights violations.  The attorney general's announcement carefully distinguished this investigation from a criminal investigator aimed at prosecuting individuals.

However, reading between the lines, it appears clear that the attorney general is not ruling out future prosecutions.  The announcement stated that "the Attorney General has made no determinations at this time about specific complaints or allegations. . ."

In June 2019, a TSA screener tricked a woman into showing him her breasts and also allowing him to look down her pants. He's now going to jail.

After pleading "no contest," Johnathon Lomeli got 60 days in the slammer.  Should the judge have tacked on a few extra days for extra stupidity?

The 22-year-old Transportation Security Administration officer (now former officer) was checking passengers at Los Angeles International Airport.  He told a woman he was taking her to a private room for further screening.  Then, in the elevator, he told the woman he could complete the inspection right there.

Do you think he might have gotten away with it if he hadn't complimented her on her breasts?

Likely, he would have been caught even if he hadn't made that stupid remark.  All these agencies participated in the investigation: Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Airport Police, California Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Air Marshals Service and the Transportation Security Administration.

Lomeli also must serve 2 years on felony probation, attend classes about sexual compulsion, pay restitution and cannot work as a security guard. 

Banner photograph by Waldemar Brandt (Upsplash)