Pro Per inmates appear to be victims of coercion

For Immediate Release

ANAHEIM, Calif./EWORLDWIRE/June 12, 2009 --- C.J. Ford Private Investigations is looking into allegations of unethical and possible illegal activities involving Pro Per - representing one's self - inmates appearing in Orange County Central Court, Dept. C-5 (Central Felony Panel).

Violations against an individual investigator and supervisor with the Alternate Defense Services have been documented and submitted to the judge in Dept. C-5 by confidential letter. However, because of the criminal nature of these allegations, it was believed that swift action or an investigation into the matter would resolve these complaints. To date, Ford is of the opinion that the judge has no interest in Pro Per complaints since there has not been a response.

The Alternate Defense Services is Orange County's version of a panel that is charged with listing and recommending qualified investigative agents to assist Pro Per inmates with their cases. The court usually approves inmate selection, and it is handled on-camera, outside the presence of the District Attorney and judge hearing the case, who are not supposed to be involved with the selection.

Throughout California, defense panels are generally part of the Public Defender's Office - but, not in Orange County.

The Alternate Defense Service is headed by a supervisor, and it is not a neutral service but functions within Orange County Central Court as a department. Because it is not part of a panel related to the Public Defender's Office, there are no built-in defense remedies for the Pro Per inmate; the court may rule as it pleases. This situation is ripe for a miscarriage of justice and lends itself to corruption, because it limits and controls which investigator gets to work on any Pro Per inmate's case. Ford asserts that the system can and should be challenged by the ACLU, the Attorney General, and other related organizations charged with enforcing the law.

Other discovery into the investigation revealed that Alternate Defense Services has only one investigator, and an occasional associate investigator to assist the sole investigator. According to verifiable statements, the Pro Per inmate-appointed investigator:

. Did not keep legal material in the Pro Per packs current
. Provided them legal advice on their cases
. Will not find or interview witnesses in their behalf
. Tampered with court motions, filings, and exhibits
. Shared important case materials and discovery with the wrong inmates
. Performed group interviews, where other inmates can hear privileged information
. Entices inmates to sign tainted time-sheets, when in fact, no work was done
. Overbills the courts for services not performed
. Signs court documents on behalf of Pro Per inmates, without their permission
. Loses exculpatory evidence in inmates' cases, refusing to develop needed evidence
. Acts as their attorney, discussing deals, making decisions on how their cases are managed
. Will not allow inmates to exercise their rights of Pro Per to manage their own defense

Ford's investigation also determined that the judge and supervisor are "feature players" in the conspiracy to deny qualified investigators to assist Pro Per Inmates. "Days after receiving the complaint letter that I wrote, the judge denied several Pro Per inmates' motions to appoint me," stated Ford. "The fact that the judge shows no concern about this investigation is disturbing - as if the fact that he insisted the current appointed investigator continue to work on Pro Per cases. The judge's decision was made outside the presence of Pro Per inmates who requested our appointment, and it was decided without an 'on-camera' hearing to which they were entitled. Pro Per inmates were not allowed to be present and argue the merits of their motions, or have their complaints against the current investigator and others involved put on record."

"In addition to the damaging statements we have already obtained and compiled from Pro Per inmate clients, there is other verifiable information newly discovered," added Ford. "In one allegation, the Pro Per states that the investigator was recording confidential jail interviews with him, and the investigator was trying to kill our investigative story by offering the inmate a deal through the DA's Office for a three-year sentence. The investigator told the inmate that he has been doing this - making deals - for over 14 years, and he has a personal association with all the DAs and judges in Orange County Central Court. The Pro Per inmate further stated that the appointed investigator wanted him to say that the investigative story was an inside conspiracy attempt by other Pro Per inmates against the investigator, the Alternate Defense Services, and the judge. The Pro Per asserted that the investigator implied that the inmate would be paid money for his cooperation in this conspiracy plot. The investigator wanted the Pro Per inmate to sign a request, asking the court to pay him more money so that he could give it to the Pro Per."

Although the investigation has not ended, the statements and materials in Ford's possession have already been forwarded to other sources. "The purpose of our investigation is to inform the public about the Orange County Central Court's bias towards indigent Pro Per inmates," stated Ford. "We invite any news reporting agency to help us get the truth out. We will provide all necessary information available. We hope that we can reach a concerned civil attorney who is willing to represent or to assist the Pro Per inmates of Orange County Central Court in their fight for justice."

For more information, contact C. J. Ford Jr. at cjfordpi@mac.com.

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CONTACT:
C. J. Ford
C. J. Ford Private Investigations
211 S. State College Blvd. #343
Anaheim, CA 92806
PHONE. 714-776-6504
FAX. 714-776-8355
EMAIL: cjfordpi@mac.com
http://www.cjfordpi.com

SOURCE: C. J. Ford Private Investigations