News & Commentary

The Police Commission has assembled a well-respected group of people to conduct a review of the Los Angeles Police Department. Still, this falls far short of a truly independent commission.

Impartial investigators have determined that current Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) efforts to deal with gender discrimination and harassment problems are insufficient. Both sides in a major class action lawsuit agreed to the investigation. A report detailing the department's failures will be released to the public for the first time at a press conference tomorrow morning. Women's groups and other civil rights groups will call upon the LASD and County to undertake major structural reforms, including creation of an independent entity to handle complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

California imposes a harsh penalty on teenage welfare recipients who have children without even warning them of the penalty, claim five welfare recipients who filed suit today over California's "family cap." The policy, intended to discourage welfare recipients from having more children, denies benefits to babies born to parents already receiving aid, but only if the parents received detailed notice about the policy before becoming pregnant.

Today the ACLU of Southern California and the law firm of Newman. Aaronson. Vanaman, in conjunction with State Administrator of the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) Dr. Randolph Ward, announced a permanent settlement implementing a comprehensive consent decree to ensure that the 29,000 students enrolled in the CUSD are no longer denied the habitable school facilities and fundamental learning tools and opportunities guaranteed them by the California Constitution. This historic settlement is the first to require by court order that the state of California provide students within a particular school district equal educational opportunity to other California students in grades K-12. It is the result of a lawsuit (Serna v. Eastin) filed against the State of California in Los Angeles Superior Court in July of 1997 by the ACLU-SC and Newman. Aaronson.Vanaman on behalf of all students within the Compton Unified School District.

We have an imperial chief in Los Angeles. The refusal of Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks to work with the L.A. County District Attorney's office on the Rampart corruption scandal is another reason why it is essential to appoint an independent commission to examine the systemic problems in the LAPD. Parks is trying to grab more authority, rather than be held accountable for his actions and those of his department.

I have great respect for the integrity and good faith of the Police Commission and its president, Gerald Chaleff. We are pleased to see some movement from the Commission on police reform, but this proposal is still no substitute for the creation of a truly independent panel. The Police Commission has proposed assembling a group of experts to help it review the Board of Inquiry report, and, eventually, discuss ideas for reform. Essentially, this group's mandate and the parameter of its inquiry will be set by the Commission, and to a large extent by the Board of Inquiry report itself.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday reversed the district Court decision in Lifestyles Organization, Limited (LSO) v. Stroh. The ACLU Foundation of Southern California originally filed suit in July, 1997, to prevent the California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) from censoring an erotic art show at the Convention Center. Plaintiffs charged that ABC misused its authority to suppress art content of which it disapproved. The ABC had threatened to revoke the liquor license of the Palm Springs Convention Center if the exhibit proceeded, yet no alcohol was to be served at the exhibition. No one from either the Palm Springs Convention Center or the ABC had seen the art works to be displayed at the Lifestyles art show and no judicial determination had been obtained calling the work obscene. The district court granted a temporary restraining order the day before the exhibit was to open, allowing more than 170 works by 38 artists to be displayed.

The thirty day suspension of CRASH unit activities and transfer of CRASH personnel are positive - but inadequate - steps in restoring confidence in the operations of the LAPD. Fundamental change is what is essential.

The ACLU is today filing suit in federal court on behalf of an African-American bicyclist who was physically assaulted by San Bernardino police officers for no good reason, and whose free speech rights were then violated when he attempted to file a citizen complaint about the incident. The ACLU is co-counseling with private attorneys Joe Freeman and Robert Seaman, of the law firm Seaman & Freeman.