Bell officials reject deals from D.A.; critics say two years isn’t enough

Lawyers for six current and former Bell leaders said their clients have rejected plea deals that would have brought them two-year prison terms in exchange for admitting guilt and paying back all the money they allegedly looted from the city treasury.

The news emerged Monday as the six defendants -- council members Oscar Hernandez, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal, and former council members Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello -– faced the first day of a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court in the Bell corruption case.

Cristina Garcia, a spokeswoman for BASTA, a citizens' group that has called for the council members to resign, said she will head to the courtroom if a plea deal for two years in prison is negotiated.

"I think the community would not just be a little disappointed but outraged if that occurs," Garcia said. "The reality is the city is near bankruptcy. So many people in this community have been abused by these people and two years isn't enough. The people of Bell are going to be paying for generations for what they have done."

Dmitry Gorin, a defense attorney and former deputy district attorney, said the plea offer is a sign that prosecutors are escalating pressure.

Prosecutors, he said, may also be trying to gain their cooperation in hooking the bigger fish in this case -– former City Administrator Robert Rizzo, who is charged with 50 felony counts of misappropriating public funds and corruption. Gorin said the apparent lack of a plea offer to Rizzo and former Assistant City Administrator Angela Spaccia reflects that they are the true targets of the trials.

"It is a very high-profile case and in such cases they often start with high offers," Gorin said. "They are trying to make an example of these elected officials and they want to send them that message."

Based on his experience, he said, two years in state prison is not a good deal and defense lawyers are likely to want to keep going with the case until a better offer is made.

"The case against the council members is going to be lot tougher to make than against a professional like Rizzo," Gorin said. "The council members are not involved in the day-to-day running of City Hall and rely on the staff for advice. What they have done may be reprehensible but their lawyers will argue it was not illegal. They, after all, are elected council members not professionals." Gorin said the prosecutors have to show they knew they were doing something wrong.

"Rizzo by contrast had his fingers in every cake," Gorin said. "The case against him is far stronger."

-- Richard Winton

Comments

[rusoviet]

Luis Artiga, one of the defendants, is a 'minister' of a church.

How telling is it that he declined the offer. Granted pressure from the others and their suit's is probably one of the major reasons but hey if a 'man of faith' can't or won't act like a 'man of faith' then while you're lawyering up you just might consider stepping down from that church.

[primo]

what a jerk that DA must be. Another payoff !!!!!
With credit for time served,good time,work time,blood time ,overcrowding time,medical time,emergency time,religious time, conjugal visiting,pre release,re socialization classses,book and movie deals,job re training,etc.
those guys will serve no time and still be rich.
What a g,, d,,, scam
justice is a word in the dictionary
hell,if those guys pay me a DECENT $ I will do the time for them.
let me know
primo

[Annie Oakley]

If this were the old West, would they be strung up before sundown?

[upwinger]

So when will the investigations into the financial scams in other California cities begin?

[frankie]

this must be a misprint,they must mean 200 years.what this county does to people you have minor thief's that stole food to feed themselves doing life,what these people did is way beyond crime they affected over 4oooo people life's and well being and safety never mind the untold millions they stole.this should people how there justice system is nothing but a joke,a union run money pit where they are all stealing billions and the whole time saying that its for your safety.WAKE UP LOS ANGELES.

[u know]

Former OC Sheriff Mike Corona turned down his plea bargain of 2 years also....he just began serving a 5 and 1/2 year prison term two weeks ago....these nimrods from Bell are making the same mistake

[Ryan]

INJUSTICE! How long does it take to become a City Official on City Council? Years of school; Thousands of dollars? And what about all the perks? They could probably arrest you and use city lawyers without question... . And we're going to charge them two years only? Why don't we just give them their jobs back and say great job? You went to school and spent years learning so you could stiff a a bunch of people that depend on you to be a voice for the state and country. And lets just give them only two years, that makes sense.