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Steve Cooley

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Steve Cooley
Steve Cooley on April 10, 2007
41st Los Angeles County District Attorney
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 7, 2000
Preceded byGil Garcetti
Personal details
Born (1947-05-01) May 1, 1947 (age 77)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJana Cooley
ChildrenMichael Cooley
Shannon Cooley
Residence(s)Toluca Lake, California, U.S.
Alma materCalifornia State University, Los Angeles
University of Southern California Law School
WebsiteOfficial website

Stephen Lawrence Cooley (born May 1, 1947), usually known as Steve Cooley, is an American politician currently running in California for the 2010 Attorney General election and also won the Republican nomination against John Eastman and Tom Harman on June 8, 2010 to face against Kamala Harris for the November 2, 2010 election. He is a veteran prosecutor who was elected as Los Angeles County's 41st[1] District Attorney on November 7, 2000. He succeeded Democrat Gil Garcetti. He was sworn in for his second term on December 6, 2004. Cooley was elected to a third term on June 3, 2008. He is also a former reserve Los Angeles Police officer.

Background

The second of five children, Steve Cooley was born at St. Vincent's Hospital (now St. Vincent's Medical Center) in Los Angeles, California. His father was an FBI agent and his mother a homemaker. Cooley attended high school in the Pater Noster H.S., Los Angeles, California. At California State University, Los Angeles, Cooley served two terms as Student Body President and was selected for membership in Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society. He was also a member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity. In 1970, He was commencement speaker for his graduating class. Cooley later entered USC Gould School of Law. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1973. That same year he joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Cooley served over seven years as a reserve police officer with LAPD and 27 years as prosecutor.

Los Angeles County District Attorney

Cooley was elected to his first term as District Attorney in 2000. The election campaign featured a record-breaking 15 debates, and Cooley captured nearly two-thirds of the vote. He was the first attorney with trial experience to be elected District Attorney since 1984. At his 2000 swearing-in ceremony, he charged his over 1000 prosecutors – including more than 300 District Attorney investigators and 600 clerical, technical and support staff – to “Show no fear in pursuing the criminal element, but also be fearless in the pursuit of justice.”

First Term

Once in office, Cooley instituted a reorganization of the District Attorney's Office. On April 9, 2003, Cooley announced that he was closing the office's Environmental Crimes unit.[2] The closure left only one attorney to cover all environmental crimes in Los Angeles County. The reorganization also included the creation of the Justice System Integrity Division, Forensic Science Section and Victim Impact Program. Cooley changed the office's policy on California's Three Strikes Law, with the stated purpose to assure proportionality in sentencing and even-handed application countywide. Throughout his time as District Attorney, Cooley continued his efforts against the Three Strikes Law in favor of proportionality, including supporting ballot measures that would have altered Three Strikes. The blowback from those efforts ultimately led Cooley to leave the California District Attorneys Association in 2006 and to an electoral challenge in 2008 from his former deputy Steve Ipsen based upon the charge that Cooley was "too cozy" with the defense bar.[3]

Second Term

In 2006, Cooley was the most notable law enforcement official to publicly oppose Proposition 83, better known as "Jessica's Law," a measure named after Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old who was raped and murdered by a paroled sex offender in Florida. Cooley criticized Jessica's Law as being "not carefully crafted," adding that "Not liking sex offenders is a good thing and a popular thing, but when are creating something to deal with them you have to think it through." [4] California voters passed Proposition 83 overwhelmingly with 70.5 percent of the vote.

Also during his second term, Steve Cooley's office was unsuccessful in the prosecution of Robert Blake for the murder of his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley. When interviewed about Robert Blake's acquittal, Steve Cooley publicly called members of the jury who acquitted Blake "incredibly stupid" and refused to apologize for the statement.[5]

According to The Los Angeles Times, advocates for battered women have criticized Cooley’s handling of Deborah Peagler’s case and others like it. In eight out of eight cases, he has opposed the use of a California law that allows battered women in prison to be given a new hearing if evidence of domestic violence was omitted during the original proceedings. Cooley had initially supported Peagler's release from prison, but then withdrew his offer to reduce the battered woman's prison sentence.[6] In April 2008, a California Superior Court Judge removed Cooley's entire office from Peagler's case due to allegations of misconduct and conflicts of interest.[7]

Just a week before the 2008 election that he ultimately won, Cooley was attacked for a deal that he made with defense attorneys and judges to postpone seeking tougher sanctions against a group of serious sex offenders that had completed their prison terms. Rather than seeking indefinite hospitalization for some offenders, as allowed under a November 2006 ballot measure, Cooley only sought two years.[8]

Third Term

In June 2008 Cooley was elected to a third term, defeating his challengers, Independent candidate Steve Ipsen, President of the LA County Prosecutors Union, and Democratic candidate Albert Robles, an attorney and professor. Cooley became the first L.A. County District Attorney to win a third term since Buron Fitts in 1936. The LA Times editorial desk wrote in April 28, 2008 of Cooley, "It is noteworthy that he criticized predecessor Gil Garcetti in 2000 for seeking a third term and promised that he would serve only two. This year, he is seeking his third."[9]

Cooley's June 2008 re-election opponent, Albert Robles, faced misdemeanor charges filed against him by the DA's office in November 2007. Robles was charged with printing a political mail piece without a return address and expending more than $100 cash in a political campaign. Robles accused Cooley of direct involvement in the charges brought against him because of a personal vendetta and to effect outcome of the 2008 DA's election held June 2008.[10] Cooley denied those allegations.[10] Robles lost to Cooley in June 2008, but in October 2008 a jury found Robles not guilty of all charges after deliberating 20 minutes[10][11] and was re-elected in November 2008 to his seat on the Water Replenishment District of Southern California board.[12]

Policies

In 2009 Cooley declared his opposition to medicinal marijuana dispensaries that sell over-the-counter in Los Angeles County.[13]

Cooley has investigated state Senator Rod Wright[14] for living outside of his elected district, and Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt F. Dorn for a low-interest loan from the City of Inglewood.[15]

Personal

He and his wife Jana have lived in Toluca Lake, California for over 30 years. They have a son, Michael, and a daughter, Shannon.

References

  1. ^ "LACDA History". Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  2. ^ LA Times 4/09/2003 "D.A. Shuts Down Environmental Crimes Division"
  3. ^ "Steve Cooley. County’s Second-Longest Serving D.A. Takes Pride in Record, Looks to Future," MetNews, January 14, 2010.
  4. ^ San Diego Union Tribune, February 22, 2008
  5. ^ "No Apology For Robert Blake Jury" CBS News
  6. ^ The Los Angeles Times (12/07/2007) "Lawsuit says Cooley reneged on promise; D.A. vowed to aid her bid for freedom, says the killer of a pimp."
  7. ^ The Los Angeles Times (4/26/08)"D.A. barred from abused woman's appeal of 1982 murder case L.A. judge gives a her a key victory in her ongoing battle for freedom."
  8. ^ The Los Angeles Times 05/31/2008 "Sex offender deal an issue in campaign"
  9. ^ LA Times Editorial Department (April 28, 2008). "For District Attorney and Board of Supervisors The Times Reluctantly Endorses". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-05-04.}}
  10. ^ a b c The Whitter Daily News (10/22/08) "Jury Finds Albert Robles Not Guilty"
  11. ^ The Whitter Daily News (10/10/08) "Trial for Water Board President Goes Forward"
  12. ^ The Whitter Daily News (11/05/08) "Robles Keeps Water Board Seat"
  13. ^ D.A. will prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries even if L.A. does not ban sales
  14. ^ Daily Breeze: State Sen. Rod Wright's district residency under investigation 09/21/2009
  15. ^ San Francisco Chronicle: Inglewood Mayor Charged in Home Loan Scandal (6/26/2008)

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