Ex-LA Sheriff Lee Baca faces decision: longer sentence or criminal trial

Former Sheriff Lee Baca must tell a federal judge today whether he wants to plead not guilty and stand trial, or accept a longer sentence in coection with a jail corruption scandal — and attoeys are working from now until the afteoon in hopes of making plea deal the court will accept.

Baca was forced to make that choice two weeks ago, when U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson rejected the former sheriff’s plea agreement with prosecutors, saying it was not tough enough after Baca admitting to lying to federal investigators.

• VIDEO: Lee Baca’s attoey is still trying to make a deal

Baca entered the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles about 7 a.m. today. Following three sidebar conferences and a 30-minute recess, the hearing was put on hold until 1:30 p.m.

The hearing was delayed so that Baca’s legal team can negotiate with prosecutors on a possible new plea agreement.

• PHOTOS: Ex-Sheriff Lee Baca arrives at federal court Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, to accept judge’s sentence or proceed to trial

During a previous court appearance on July 18, the judge told Baca that a six-month sentence trivialized his role in a series of events that led to deputies covering up abuses, looking the other way and altering records, “all of which led to fostering an us-versus-them mentality” inside Los Angeles County jails.

Anderson’s decision was a blow to Baca and his attoey Michael Zweiback, who had asked the judge to consider sentencing Baca to six months at home. Baca, 74, is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, court documents have shown. But federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attoey’s Office said they still recommended the six-month sentence to be served in federal prison. Zweiback said last week that he and federal prosecutors had tried to make a deal to present to the judge, but no deal could be reached.

Baca admitted he lied to investigators in an April 2013 interview while he was sheriff when he said he did not know that Sheriff’s Department officials plaed to approach an FBI special agent who was investigating abuses in county jails.

Prosecutors said Baca ordered an inmate, once it was discovered that the inmate was an FBI informant, to be isolated and called for sheriff’s officials to investigate how that inmate received a cellphone in jail, according to the plea agreement. Baca put his undersheriff, Paul Tanaka, in charge of this, they said. Prosecutors also said that Baca “further stated that the LASD should do everything but put handcuffs on” the FBI special agent.

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Tanaka was sentenced last month to five years in prison. Nine other Sheriff’s Department officials who have pleaded guilty or have been convicted in the same corruption scandal received sentences of 18 to 41 months.

Baca was elected Los Angeles County’s 30th sheriff in 1998. He retired in 2014.