Sentencing for former LA County Sheriff Lee Baca postponed

Sentencing for former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was set for Monday, but has been postponed until July 18.

The change was made in response to a late court document filing by prosecutors with the U.S. Attoey’s Office regarding Baca’s health and where he should serve his time.

Baca pleaded guilty in federal court in February to one count of lying to govement investigators probing corruption and civil rights abuses by deputies in the county’s downtown jails and the attempt by the Sheriff’s Department to obstruct that investigation. The former sheriff had repeatedly denied his involvement.

Last month, court documents confirmed that the former sheriff is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which raised questions about his sentence. Baca faces six months in federal prison. His attoey, Michael Zweiback, said because of his diagnosis, Baca should serve a probationary sentence in his home so he can continue his medical routine.

In documents filed Thursday, federal prosecutors noted that the Bureau of Prisons houses about 300 inmates with severe forms of cognitive impairment resulting from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. They said Baca would have appropriate access to doctors and specialists.

Last month, Paul Tanaka, the former second-in-command in the Sheriff’s Department, was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the same jail abuse and corruption scandal. His attoeys are appealing the sentence.