Getting word this morning that Sandra Hutchens, who was appointed sheriff last week, will be sworn in today at a private 10:15 a.m. meeting in the clerk’s office.
Hutchens is set for a large public ceremony at the Old Courthouse on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
“Today’s the Vegas wedding and Tuesday’s the church ceremony,” is how one of my sources described it.
Today’s event — which has not been publicly announced — was apparently requested by Hutchens, three sources told me. She has passed the state-required psychological and medical tests and wanted to get working, my sources said.
10:45 a.m. update — John McDonald, a sheriff’s spokesman, confirmed for me that Hutchens is getting sworn in this morning at her request.
“I think the idea is there are things she wanted to get done and wanted to get started,” McDonald said.
11:25 a.m. update — I just got confirmation from Supe John Moorlach, who was the only supe at the swearing in this morning. Click below for that.
Moorlach said his office offered Hutchens a chance to do an early swearing in, so she could get to work, and she took him up on it.
“In Europe, you get married twice — you go to the courthouse and get all the documents taken care of and then you go to the ceremony,” he said. “We swore her in so she can get working.”
In addition to Moorlach, CEO Tom Mauk was there, as was a member of Supe Pat Bates’ staff, two members of Moorlach’s staff and Matt Brady, a former member of the LA County Sheriff’s Department who is assisting Hutchens. Hutchens’ husband, Larry, wasn’t there, Moorlach said.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kirkwood performed the swearing in, Moorlach said. Kirkwood will also be doing Tuesday’s public ceremony.
Correction: I reported earlier that Kirkwood did the swearing in today — it was actually Moorlach.
Moorlach performed the swearing in today and Orange County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kirkwood will do it on Tuesday at the public ceremony.
Moorlach said he expects 1,000 people at the Tuesday’s event.
I can understand her interest to get going, but why would it be kept a secret from the public; not a very transparent move for someone who promised transparency. Also quite a coincidence that the ceremony, takes place while the only two supervisors who didn’t vote for her are out-of-town. Maybe a little petty to read something into the fact that the only supes attending her swearing in ceremony are the ones who voted for her. But it is very interesting that she didn’t want the public to know that she was going to be sworn in today because she wanted to start work immediately….why keep that a secret?
I have to agree. It makes her look extremely sneaky already.
Good Gosh what are we in for if she starts off in this type of shady manner.
What does she have to hide?
This is not a sign of sneakiness. Have you been to the clerk’s office where the official swearing in is taking place? It is very small and not the kind of place you want a crowd of spectators showing up for. There are many other people there going about their business and this would be a disruption of the daily activities if it were made public and people started showing up. It is more appropriate to save the celebration for a place more suited for crowds.
You conspiracy freaks need to step back and watch. How about she see’s alot of work to do and needs to get going.
No secrets OK?
Secret? Heck, it’s all over the press! Tuesday’s event will result in a day where all the politicians and wanna-be’s will gather around and pat each other on the back and no work wil be done.
What is so bleeding “sinister” about getting a jump on a job that is going to be difficult enough, given all the second guessers, know-it-alls and petty politicians lining up to take cheap shots.
Peggy, I thought you had more class than to come up with the “Secret…” headline. Shame!
Of couse this was secret. It is incredible the spin doctors who want to say there was nothing secret about this. First of all some board offices didn’t even know about it until they recieved an email that was forwarded from Moorlach’s office which was the request from Team Hutchens. The Sheriff’s spokesman says she wanted to hurry and get to work; Moorlach’s office says he wantd (offered)her to hurry and get to work. The ceremony is so rushed that even her two other supporters on the Board didn’t have it on calender and couldn’t attend. Her husband couldn’t even attend. Now, wouldn’t you think that her husband who is retired may have wanted to attend her swearing in.
Rumor has it that the Cedillos connection is getting a little more complicated so her LA advisers wanted to hurry up and get the swearing in completed.
Not withstanding the above doesn’t seem a little strange that the process that was supposed to be so open and transparent e.g. public interviews, public votes to narrow finalists, public vote for selection ends in a private swearing in ceremony, so private her own husband didn’t attend. The fact that this is all over the press is because a reporter dug it up. There was no public announcement or press release…just good shoe leather reporting.
Hmmm…interesting. Her actions and who she surrounds herself with will speak volumes. It will be very enlightening to watch as these new chapters of the OCSD drama unfold….
I think its Great she got Sworn in ahead of Time because it means that Loser Anderson is no longer running the Department. Thank Goodness. At least we have someone who isn’t about trying to S**** Rank&File just to please Moorlach. Also it will be good to have someone with Honest&Integerity&Leadership Ability something Anderson was Severely lacking!!!!!!!!!!.Now maybe the Department can feel proud again!!!
Jsur I couldn’t agree with you more.
Hello! Ding-Ding! There is a reason for her getting sworn in early. What is it? To avoid inconveniencing all those most unfortunate people in the clerks office? Yeah right.; So she can get to work sooner? Um, she went to work the day the Supes appointed her. Remember? ; So as not to waste time? OK. Lets take up two days to get it done. ; Because no one else can swear her in a “public ceremony”? Nope.; To have a private ceremony with a select public officials and family? Doesn’t look like it.; To embarass two Supes who were alledgedly unavailable? Petty. So why do it if not to take some of the zing off the public ceremony and why would she do that?
18Vetern, you think Anderson was all about screwing rank & file wait til Hutchens gets to work. It’s very symbolic that Moorlach was the one to swear her in because now we have Hutchens as Vader to Moorlach’s Emperor. His little puppet.
Opps. Forgot my conclusion. Something is up and Moorlach knows all about it whatever it is. To get to work early is pure BS. So what gives?
Well…the longer she keeps Jumpin’ Jack and Charlie Walters around, the more her credability goes downhill. If she “buys” into T-Rack’s aggressive land grab of the sheriff’s DNA lab, her credability will go down even farther. If she “allows” that moron Moorlach to manipulate her into backing his play to separate the Coroner’s Operation and take away benefits for employees that were negotiated for, she will fail miserably…..
Sludge, Jumping Jack couldn’t screw enough Rank&File Deputies as it was his favorite thing to do.Alas didn’t do Jack any good as Moorlach didn’t even vote for him.Best thing the new Sheriff can do is get rid of Anderson as he only cares about his own self interests and trying to get elected in 2010.
One more theory -
Jack has been the sneaky one according to headquarters assigned folks. Hutchens heard one too many accounts of last minute changes he was making. She reassessed, made a decision and acted on it swiftly to stop the cancer.
Looks like sound leadership in action. Hopefully more to come.
20 years plus I couldn’t agree more about what you said about Jumping Jack.Thank Goodness Hutchens stepped in and stopped Anderson from trying to screw over more Deputies which what he seems to LOVE to do. So Long Jack you did NOTHING Good for the department just and Glad your out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s plausible in which case Jack’s days as an AS are numbered. You’d think the smart move would be to follow Hutchins’ “suggestions” for a few days. I’m sure there are more than a few establishment types still grumbling about having the rug pulled out from under them. Now they are about to have their CCW’s publically pulled out of their wallets. So if they think their guy is Anderson in 2010, they may want to rethink that. Because they are first going to neeed someone who has some public speaking skills.
It’s clear that the new Sheriff is squeaky clean when the peanut gallery continues to spend their days taking shots at Jack. This BS about the rank and file not respecting Anderson is laughable. Ask Quint how many e-mails and phone calls he’s received from members of the union who are disgusted with the Union and it’s board of fools that pose AOCDS as a bunch of neanderthal goons.
The bottom line is, OCSD is in great shape with Hutchens and Anderson running the show. Cedillos and company are non-factors that will get no play.
Sorry Gauntlet, it is a well known fact throughout the department that the overwhelming majority of the rank and file do NOT respect Jack at all. He has absolutely no credability with the troops and he killed himself with his self-serving decisions that he made during his time as the acting sheriff.
I don’t know who you’re getting your info from but you need to check other sources. If Hutchens wants to move forward and gain respect & credability from the department members, she needs to cut that albatross Anderson from around her neck and promote those from within that have earned the right to be on her command staff.
talk to some people on patrol… instead of those who hide their entire careers in the jails.
Gauntlet put down the Kool aid as patrol,Courts,Jail&Investigation all knew that Anderson was out to S**** Rank&File just to please Moorlach. Now at least they have a leader something extrtemely lacking with Carona &Anderson> Now maybe the Department can get back to Greatness now that Hutchens is Sheriff!!!!
I have seen some BS in my time, but 18 Vetern beats them all.The Department just got screwed and your going around saying give me somemore.
I have spoken to lots of patrol deputies Gauntlet. And lots of others throughout the department. You have apparently only spoken to one, or at most a few, of Jumpin’ Jack’s loyalists. Those that kissed his a$$ to get some self-serving agenda passed, like a promotion!
Jack is damaged goods and if Hutchens is smart, she’ll see through his political agenda and kick him to the curb, just like the BOS did…
The REAL dept (Deps I & II, Sgt, LT, Capts) that do the REAL work have seen the worst moral every. But, we continue everyday doing our work even though we are all (patrol/jails) are understaff and have list of OT for deps to sign up. We, the men/women in the trenches, make the dept run everyday.
The reason the new She-riff was sworn in early and secretly is simple: The Cedillos/Blanas/Stonich/Bates crap was starting to hit the fan and because the offer is conditional until she is sworn in, someone (whoever got hit by the most crap, i.e. Bates because of her inability to express a reason for her decision) could have changed their mind and their vote. Mainero and Moorlach knew this. Not having Hutchens as sheriff would have ruined their plan to keep the OCSD and union dysfunctional–which equates to no more press for M&M.