July 10, 2008

LASD drunk ON duty!

Yet another update to the 2008 story below. June 29, 2008 accident and it takes 15 months to get a guilty plea? This is an open and shut case. The OC Register (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/driving-county-moran-2587604-angeles-influence) reports: "Vicki Podberersky, Moran's attorney, said this morning that her client has already served most of his time on home confinement. She said he was placed on unpaid leave from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department when charges were filed against him (LAAG editor: approx. Feb 2009), but he will seek reinstatement." Oh and note how they don't like to talk about the fact he was on paid administrative leave for 6 months. Now they want LASD to hire him back. Sorry. No deal. Of course even if they have the guts to buck the union and fire him he will just go to another agency. Wonderful how we let the bad apples rot the whole barrel. Dont forget this accident was on duty and in a marked police vehicle. Also no word on the civil suit and eventual settlement the taxpayers will be picking up the tab on. It should be the officer and his private insurance who picks up the entire tab, including the county's cost of defense in the civil case and all these costly reinstatement hearings.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/sheriff-sentencing.html
Former L.A. County deputy sentenced in DUI crash that injured 2
September 30, 2009 | 2:50 pm

A former veteran deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was sentenced today to six months in jail and three years of informal probation for injuring two people when he crashed his department-issued sport utility vehicle into their car a year ago while under the influence of alcohol, said officials with the Orange County district attorney's office.

Moran, 43, of Buena Park was ordered to complete a three-month first-offender program and face a Mothers Against Drunk Driving panel, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. In such panels, offenders pay MADD a fee to hear victims or relatives of victims of drunk driving crashes relate their stories.

Moran pleaded no contest Feb. 27 to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, causing injury and one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% or more causing injury, according to the statement.

Moran was driving his Chevrolet Blazer south on Beach Boulevard in Stanton about 5:30 a.m. on June 29, 2008, when he crashed into a sedan near Garden Grove Boulevard, district attorney officials said. The sedan's 33-year-old driver and his 20-year-old female passenger were knocked unconscious and taken to a hospital. At the time of the crash, the sedan's driver was in possession of and tested positive for methamphetamine. He also tested positive for sedatives and opiates, the statement said.

His case is under review, said Keith Bogardus, an Orange County deputy district attorney. His name and the name of his passenger were not released because the investigation is ongoing.

--Ruben Vives


July 12, 2008 follow up info to story below (from various published news sources):

Witnesses reported that Deputy Robert Moran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ran a red light at Garden Grove Boulevard while driving southbound on Beach Boulevard at about 5:25 a.m., Amormino said.

Investigators say Moran was immediately relieved of duty and remains on paid leave, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.

An internal investigation is expected to be launched when the criminal investigation is concluded.

So he is drunk at 5:25 am? Looks like a real long standing drinking problem. What was he parting all night at a Rave while on duty? Oh and if you read between the lines above they are going to wait until AFTER both the criminal case and the ADMINISTRATIVE cases (which wont even start until after the criminal case) are completed before deciding what to do with him. What a gig. There is about a 99% chance he violated the law but he gets to go surf at the beach while making full salary. Where can I sign up for this? If this guy worked for some private company he would have been fired the day after the accident. This type of behavior takes place as the Sheriff's dept. does not swiftly discipline its own via a citizen review board. Looks like our prior post was right on the money.

Prior posting below:

This is totally unacceptable. I can at least understand being drunk off duty...but on duty?...and then driving? We can only hope that the officer is held personally financially responsible for this action as opposed to the taxpayers. Public employees are the only class of citizens that we know of where they suffer no personal financial threat/harm due to activity like this. He will also not likely loose his job thanks to the union. Also he gets to sit home and collect a check until the 6 month investigation is over, which will likely find no wrong doing. I am sure this will get buried as quickly as possible by the LASD. The sad thing is if he was off duty there could likely be more personal responsibility as opposed to the taxpayers funding this jackpot.


L.A. County sheriff's deputy arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after on-duty crash
Authorities say the officer, on duty in Orange County, was en route to an investigation in Huntington Beach when his car collided with another, causing life-threatening injuries to one person.

By David Haldane, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2008

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been relieved of duty after being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving following a traffic accident while on duty in Orange County, authorities said Wednesday.

Robert Andrew Moran, an 18-year veteran of the department, was en route to an investigation in Huntington Beach when his sheriff's Chevy Trailblazer collided with a 1999 Mazda Protege at Beach and Garden Grove boulevards in Garden Grove on June 29.

Two occupants of the Protege were taken to hospitals, one with life-threatening injuries, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Dept.

Moran, who witnesses said had run a red light, was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence, Amormino said.

He was released after posting bail, but has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. "We will monitor the investigation, then determine our next step," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

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