Reading all the writing on the walls of OC power: Sheriff Mike Carona will step down today.
In a release that will soon be sent, Carona says:
“Having met with my command staff, the Undersheriff, and the Assistant Sheriffs and after careful legal research, I have concluded that it is legally possible for me to take a leave of absence. Therefore, effective November 9, 2007 I will be taking a sixty day leave of absence in order to devote my full time and energy towards battling the untrue and baseless charges made against my wife, Debbie and me.”
– Peggy Lowe
Given the conservative impulse not to change the system while political passions are boiling, perhaps the Board of Supervisors should unanimously vote to censure Mike Carona, and call for his immediate resignation. This may achieve the outcome everyone agrees is necessary without permanently changing the structure of County government. Even if Carona takes a temporary leave of absence, I still feel this action is appropriate.
I would call it more than impulse how about flat out hopless addiction. I hope a censure and serious backlash come from this, this sort of humliation is just disturbing.
I hope that a complete re-thinking of how County government is organized comes of this, one that includes the types of checks and balances the Framer’s of the Constitution put into our national government, and which is missing in County government
Many thanks to FBI and Dept. of Justice to keep OC a safe place to live and work. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Sherriff Dept. and Board of Supervisors protecting each others.
Since it was announced yesterday that his trial probably won’t take place until next summer, it’s going to be a long time until he’s convicted of something that will finally get him out of office permanently. A 60-day leave of absence (with pay?) doesn’t work for me. I agree with the Sheriff’s Union…he needs to resign. Hopefully the Board of Supervisors can act quickly to get this guy out of the Sheriff’s Department.
Let put the proposed Charter amendment for removal of Elected County Officials on ballot ASAP. I am disappointed with supervisor Bates and Campbell for not take a strong action at this crucial time. Our house is on fire, we can’t afford to wait and debate as the two supervisors show at the Board Hearing today - Need strong leadership.
For a high standard of the OCSD - Need a well-qualified law enforcement officer outside OCSD.
This is just great, another 60 days to conspire. I am sick of this Orange County political garbage. Carona’s cartel is tumbleling to the ground. Now it’s save yourself time.
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Sherriffs Dept and Union, District Attorney Office, Sherriffs, and enforcement should UNITE, STAND, and SUPPORT behind Mike Carona during his tough time. Mike Corona did it for you in the past.
Carlos, why should they support a law enforcement individual who can’t uphold the laws that the rest of us are required to follow? The corrupt “good old boys” network of Corona and his cohorts needs to be stopped.
Corona needs to step down and prevent further embarassment to the people of the department. Employees are constantly getting badgered, questioned and joked at as a result of the antics of this weasel. Employees within the department are inconstant fear of retaliation and retribution by his group on the “inside” should any of us say anything in the negative tense regarding him, his wife or mistress. Please, for the sake of God, leave us now.
Let put the proposed Charter amendment for removal of Elected County Officials on ballot ASAP. I am disappointed with supervisor Bates, Nguyen and Campbell for not take a strong action at this crucial time. Our house is on fire, we can’t afford to wait and debate as the two supervisors show at the Board Hearing today - Need strong leadership.
For a high standard of the OCSD - Need a well-qualified law enforcement officer outside OCSD.
Amazing. In 60 days everyone will have forgotten all about this and he will sneak back into office. With his talent for picking friends and assistant sheriffs, not to mention his heavy handedness with Lt. Hunt, it is no surprise this happened.
Sheriff Carona was a popular guy, until he developed a retaliation strategy against deputies who do not agree with him. He demoted a Captain down to patrolman for opposing his policies in the last election for Sheriff. Can you imagine what a pay cut like that can do to a family? My area is patrolled by the Sheriff, and I thank Sheriff Carona and his deputies for maintaining a neighborhood where the streets can be safely wakd at night. However, Sheriff Carona has shown no mercy on those he has power over, and those that have power over him will likewise show no mercy on him.
Where was Corona on election night? Moorlach’s house. Who is Moorlach’s right hand man? Street. Who are members of the Lincoln Club? Corona, Moorlach, Street and Rachauckus. Why won’t Peggy Lowe ever discuss the Lincoln Club Mafia? Why is Peggy giving Moorlach a free pass with his attempt to usurp more power? Moorlach is next to be indicted, gauranteed.
I wonder if the reason that his mistress is named Debbie, same name as his wife, so that when he wakes up he won’t use the wrong name? He is doing to the county what he has done to his wife: Lied and cheated. Where do we get so many Hilary Clintons from anyway?>
I read that Carona’s attorney is expected to request a delay of the trail. The article said that the trail may not began until Summer of 08. Is 60 days long enough? I think Carona should be placed on LOA without pay and retirement benefits until the trail is over. If Carona is found not guilty it would be easier to pay back salary then trying to collect what was already paid to him.
When Los Angeles was nearly overtaken by terrorist, back in spring of 1992, when Delta Force jump out of a plane in order to grab a towline atop a blimp, so as to say the sorry lives in Lalaland! Compare this to Jerry Brown pimping the State as mayor of Oakland, yet without so much as due process of an open forum to change any legal state position he with the flick of a pen robbed San Mateo County, while granting both San Mateo and South San Francisco a piece of the action in an filthy oil deal.
T- Rack, YOU ARE NEXT YOU SCUMBAG!
Supervisor Moorlach is correct carona should leave his office, or the Board of Supervisors should remove him. Additionally, appointing carona’s Command staff would be unconscionable, nothing would change. How seep does this corruption go??? An outside police chief or sheriff from another department needs to be appointed by the Board of Superiors to clean up this mess and untarnish the image of this Department!!!
i read the register online religiously and i applaud the changed format to which one has to have a password to voice an opinion. it pretty much has stopped the dummies from their ramblings and weighing in. however, it now appears that those who do have an opinion appear to have been planted.
we all know that the register is geared to a 4th grade education.
these comments have the shades of a fema news conference.
What arrogance prompted Corona to think that he could get away with this? He should read the Bible more often. All sins will be revealed.
It is too bad that the Feds (and fellow sheriff officers) let this go on for such a long time. Why does Corona need an attorney if he is not guilty? Why not get a public defender like “the other Deborah” did? Tony Rackauckas must have known something about what has been going on for a very long time. Is he too being looked into by the Feds?
There is no triangulating on this issue Sheriff. Please resign ASAP for the good of the county.
Sheriff Carona: He is OUR SHERIFF until he ain’t - An opinion of a Rich White Guy.
“MAY HAVE” EQUALS “MAY NOT HAVE”: A firestorm was created this week when the disturbing news broke about our Sheriff, Mike Carona, being indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on numerous counts of misconduct related to actions he may have taken before and during his term as Sheriff of Orange County.
THEATRE AND POLITICAL ADVANTAGE: The firestorm generated lots of theatre amongst the usual suspects in Orange County political circles where covering ones’ ass by distancing themselves from the troubled becomes foremost of importance to them. Next, comes those that will seek to take advantage of a weakened political opponent in order to gain personally what they could not get when the playing field was level. Turkey buzzards would have a hard time getting through to the carcass with all the politicians and hacks hovering around!
“BAD PERSON”: Yea, let’s propose more laws and issue more self-aggrandizing press releases about how much was done in response to the “bad person” now found amongst us.
JESUS FOR A MOMENT: Politicians that have been working with and around each other for years suddenly find the “Jesus moment” in a split-second after the sh+t has hit the fan.
PULL THE CARPET, ON THREE: Moments like these help clarify why the public disdains politicians as they watch them claim the moral high ground while simultaneously pulling the carpet from underneath the fallen comrade. A finger-pointing politician is almost as helpful to solving a problem as having a bored ten-year kid with matches hanging around the neighborhood.
DON’T SHOOT THE SHERIFF: The media is all over a story like this, as well. Of course, Mike Carona has been tried and convicted by most of these folks well before the recent events in Federal Court — which only served as the “I told you so” part of the story. There are less flies on the potato salad at a summer picnic than there are reporters, editorialists and bloggers on this story all clamoring for the “I Shot the Sheriff Pulitzer Prize.” But, one question that has been ignored is this: “HOW do we ensure that a law enforcement officer, like Mike Carona, gets the same standard of Due Process of law as any other ordinary citizen?”
HIGHER STANDARDS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHY?: Forgetting for a moment that many in this county use the words but disregard what it means to have a higher standard for law enforcement personnel — some say that the Sheriff has a higher standard of conduct expected of him and that any accusation of misconduct is reason enough for him to be sent to the career bone yard, to the poor house, or even to the slammer! Yet, during every single day in this land every citizen has the right to due process of law and equal protection under the law! There is not one set of rights for cops and another set for everyone else. There’s one! There are not “higher or lower” standards of justice for cops accused of crimes. There’s one! while we expect a “higher standard” of personal conduct from cops — at the end of the day we live and breathe under the same laws of this land as everyone else.
EQUAL JUSTICE: “Equal justice under the law” does not exclude law enforcement officers who find themselves sitting behind the table across the aisle in a courtroom! When fallible human beings who also happen to be police officers enter a courtroom they too are entitled to the same protections that they gave to others during a career of public service where only a judge or jury are allowed to take these rights away.
AN ARREST IS A SIMPLE FORMALITY AND DOES EQUATE TO GUILT: A cop’s duty to ensure due process to the accused lasts throughout the criminal justice process. It begins with an investigation and does not stop with an arrest. It doesn’t end at arraignment. An arrest and an arraignment are only pit stops in the judicial race towards the finish line known as a conviction. It doesn’t stop because the accused has been convicted in the press or in the court of public opinion. It’s a long race and it’s our job to finish the race!
OUR SHERIFF STILL MAY BE INNOCENT, EVEN IF FOUND GUILTY: Because accusations cannot be proven true beyond a reasonable doubt outside a courtroom our job will be harder if justice is denied because we will never know whether our Sheriff was innocent or not!
It’ll be almost impossible to really know if he betrayed his oath of office and our trust unless he gets his right to justice that includes a presumption of innocence outside the courtroom and a fair impartial trial once inside.
RACE (THE RUNNING KIND): The race has only started and the truth may only be known at the end of it! In order to know the facts and in order to render our own personal feelings we must demand that a fellow law enforcement officer gets his day in court under the same standard of due process that we would demand for ourselves if we were unfortunate enough to be in his circumstance.
That includes the knowledge that FACTS today are still only “allegations” and that the Sheriff retains the presumption of innocence TODAY and every day until he is guilty in a court of law!
GULLIBLE OR CULPABLE, DEAL WITH IT: We must know if Sheriff Carona was “felony gullible” or “felony culpable.” IF the Sheriff of Orange County has a higher standard of conduct expected of him then only the highest standard of jurisprudence should be used to adjudicate him. Mike Carona came in as Sheriff and gets to go out with his boots on. There cannot be any rush to judgement in this case. It must be done right. Step-by-step. No short-cuts. No compromises. No opinion polls or votes of no confidence. Nope. Even a cop gets his day in court. And an elected Sheriff is still a cop. Deal with it! The Sheriff decided today to continue on as Sheriff while he goes through the judicial process. He doesn’t need to ask for a presumption of innocence — he is entitled to it and he gets it as a birthright under the Constitution of the United States of America!
EXECUTIVE DECISION: It isn’t the first decision he has had the exclusive authority to make and it will not now be his last. A resignation, at this point, will do little to make the pain or the disappointment go away and it certainly will not do anything to quiet anti-law enforcement types who will attempt to paint all of us with the same brush stroke. A courtroom trial would do much more to separate one’s personal conduct away from an entire agency’s reputation. If the Sheriff decides to have his guilt determined by a jury of his peers he absolutely has that right to do so and we, as cops should treat his right to due process under law as if it was our own. Through our oath of office, it is in many ways. Then and ONLY THEN will we know IF a fellow cop failed our law enforcement profession.
ONE OF US: Until a verdict is rendered against Mike Carona, he is still one of us and he should be treated as such. At the end of his press conference today, Sheriff Carona said he was going back to work. It won’t hurt anything if we all did as well!
To News crews, Board of Supes, Todd Spitzer, and all concerned,
I am very disappointed that a Sheriff can pick his own Interim Sheriff. That is what this is. Taking it out of the hands of the Supes, and putting it on the Sheriff whose record is already tarnished. I had to work today or I would have been there in a heart-beat. I am just very disappointed that Orange County is going down is a way like we have never seen it before. I have spoken before on these issues and was I not right? I guess it if it does not happen then it will be a re-call. Trust me that now will not be hard to get. They should have put Lt. Bill Hunt back to full duty and put him in there as interim for our men and women in uniform. Very disappointed in the ones that voted against it.
Karen A Finn
Police Officers Wife
Rich White Guy says:
“THEATRE AND POLITICAL ADVANTAGE: The firestorm generated lots of theatre amongst the usual suspects in Orange County political circles where covering ones’ ass by distancing themselves from the troubled becomes foremost of importance to them. Next, comes those that will seek to take advantage of a weakened political opponent in order to gain personally what they could not get when the playing field was level. Turkey buzzards would have a hard time getting through to the carcass with all the politicians and hacks hovering around!”
Assemblyman Spitzer disappoints me. First he uses the fires to get some airtime, instead of working behind the scenes to fix the problems in a more productive manner….and now he is sitting in on the BOS meeting to vote for the power to remove an elected official he recently supported. Sounds alot like Rich White Guys definition of Theatre and Political Advantage. As a Orange taxpayer, Mr Spitzer, please spend more of your time fixing the problems you so recently spoke of, instead of searching for your next 15 minutes of fame.
Secondly, any one of the gossipmongers who have been quick to convict Michael Carona, before he is given the chance to defend himself, should take an internal audit of their own lives and see if they are comfortable living in their glass houses. From what i can see, Sheriff Carona has served our community with a commitment that outshines most other elected officials. We, as the voters, asked for him to make our community a safe place for ourselves and more importantly, for our children. I, for one, think he has done an outstanding job and he is still my choice for Sheriff, with or without his 60 day leave.