Orange County, California, has had no shortage of changes since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic some months ago. Orange County has taken some drastic measures from zero dollar bail to the release of inmates who both posed and didn’t pose a threat to society. Not to mention that all the courthouses were closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

It seems like each week brings a new story worth discussing, and the one we are about to cover is one to pay attention to moving forward. If you read our blog on a regular basis, you know Orange County has been embroiled in scandal.

Misusing jailhouse and confidential informants and blatant disregard for protocols regarding the handling of evidence. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has even been accused of listening in on confidential conversations between attorneys and their clients. Simply put, the track record in the O.C. of late is less than impressive.

The Office of Independent Review

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? ‘Who will guard the guardians’ is a question that many Southern Californians have been asking. Well, one Sergio Perez has been tapped to hold Orange County’s law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions, according to the Daily Pilot. Mr. Perez has his work cut out for him, heading up the Office of Independent Review (OIR).

It’s too soon to tell how effective Sergio Perez will be in his new position. However, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders believes that if Perez is willing to call out the issues and put it down on paper, it could be a step toward the right direction.

“It’s just up to this point, it’s been kind of a fancy acronym,” said Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, “It didn’t mean anything to criminal defendants. Criminal defense wouldn’t think ‘Oh, thank God we have the OIR.’ It didn’t seem like it had much teeth.” 

Attorney Sanders was the one who uncovered that the district attorney’s office and sheriff’s department used jailhouse informants to illegally obtain confessions, according to the article. Sanders adds:

“If you can go in there and are working with courage and commitment to make this a more fair and just criminal justice system, you can play a role even if all of your objectives aren’t met. It’s an office with some potential but it’s very unclear what becomes of it and what value it has for my clients.”

Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney

Attorney Ronald G. Brower has a long history of achieving successful outcomes for his clients. Please contact our office today to learn more about how he can advocate for a you or a loved one in court.