L.A. County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements since 1990 in cases in which sheriff’s deputies were alleged to belong to a secret society, records obtained by The Times show. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-04/sheriff-deputy-clique-payouts">https://www.latimes.com/californi...
The figure comes from a list that includes payouts in dozens of lawsuits and claims involving deputies associated with tattooed groups accused of glorifying an aggressive style of policing. The report, prepared by L.A. County attorneys, lists nearly 60 cases, some of them pending
The high cost underscores how these deputy groups — with monikers such as the Vikings, Regulators, 3000 Boys and the Banditos — have operated out of several Sheriff’s Department stations for decades, exhibiting what critics have long alleged are the violent, intimidating tactics.
Over the years, a succession of elected sheriffs have failed to bring the subgroups under control despite multiple internal investigations and more recently, a federal probe by the FBI. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fbi-investigating-sheriff-20190711-story.html">https://www.latimes.com/local/lan...
The largest payout on the list — $10.1 million — went to Francisco Carrillo Jr., who spent 20 years behind bars before having a murder conviction overturned in 2011. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-francisco-carrillo-settlement-20160719-snap-story.html">https://www.latimes.com/local/lan...
More recently, a sheriff’s deputy filed a claim alleging that the Executioners clique, which is not named in the county report, essentially runs the Compton sheriff’s station. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-30/sheriff-clique-compton-station-executioners">https://www.latimes.com/californi...
Read the full story by @AleneTchek here https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-04/sheriff-deputy-clique-payouts">https://www.latimes.com/californi...