December 27, 2018
VOL. 33, No. 97
BUTTS California MAYOR DEFENDS DESTRUCTION Will impact
2020
OF POLICE RECORDS LA Times Howard Blume
Presidential Race
Francis Taylor, Asst. Editor
California is determined to force 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls to make some hard choices. The nation’s most populous liberal state has moved its presidential nominating contest to early in the 2020 calendar, a shift its leaders hope will give it maximum impact on the selection of a Democratic nominee and push candidates to address progressive issues such as climate change. The reshuffling means California voters, who can cast ballots weeks before primary election day, will be helping to determine a nominee at the same time as those in traditional early primary states such as New Hampshire. The shift to so-called “Super Tuesday” in March 2020 will change how campaigns structure their efforts and require tough decisions about allocation of resources, Democratic Party sources and strategists say. Competing in California, with its large, expensive media markets, may only be possible for the most deeppocketed campaigns. That factor alone might be enough to keep 2 some of the two
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Inglewood Police (IPD) Chief Mark Fronterotta, and \ Paul D. Delacourt, Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles FBI Office
IT’S OFFICIAL:
I
nglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. recently defended his city’s decision this month to allow the destruction of years of investigative records involving police shootings. Many of those records would have become public for the first time under a new state law set to take effect Jan. 1, providing a window into a police department that for years was beset by allegations of excessive force, poor officer training and lack of transparency. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, told The Times on Sunday that there is no connection between the new law and Inglewood’s action. The Times broke the story a day earlier on the council’s decision. “This premise that there was an intent to beat the clock is ridiculous,” he said. City officials, he added, would have nothing to fear from these records in terms of liability or embarrassment. A staff report indicates that the records go back as far as 1991. “How would they be embarrassing to me?” said Butts, who became part of city government when he was elected mayor in 2011. “I wasn’t even here for those records. The records are what they are.” The city’s decision at2 tracted more than routine
134 FREEWAY HAS BEEN RENAMED
IT’S OFFICIAL: A portion of the 134 Freeway has been renamed after former President Barack Obama. The new President Barack H. Obama Highway starts at State Route 2 in Glendale and ends at Interstate 210 in Pasadena.
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December 27, 2018 Continued from page 1: Police Records
notice because of its timing and because it represented a change in city policy. Until this month, Inglewood required the Police Department to retain records on shootings involving officers for 25 years after the close of an investigation. Records of other internal investigations were to be kept six years. Although these records were retained, they were not necessarily available to the public. That changes next week, because of Senate Bill 1421. The new law opens to the public internal investigations of shootings by officers and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault by officers and lying while on duty. Still, Butts maintained the city did nothing wrong. “It’s actually quite routine for us to do records destruction,” he told ABC 7’s Eyewitness News. “The Finance Department, the Police Department and other entities — whenever they want to destroy records that exceed a time limit — they submit a staff report to the City Council and the City Council approves or disapproves the records destruction.” But longtime community activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson and a group of local civil rights leaders are skeptical. In light of the new state law, he said, Inglewood’s action “continues a pattern of lack of accountability.” For years, Hutchinson worked with the families of those killed in encounters with Inglewood police. He said a full disclosure under the new law could reveal new avenues of legal redress and also could provide families with important details about what happened to their loved ones. The documents also would allow the public to review how well the department handled in-
ternal investigations and how seriously the department has embraced reforms. “This action sends a terrible message that lack of transparency is still the policy in Inglewood,” he said. Hutchinson called on city leaders to delay the destruction of documents. The city staff report and the City Council’s resolution from its Dec. 11 meeting make no mention of the new police transparency law. The resolution says that the affected records are “obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the Police Department.” Butts told The Times Sunday said that the city’s old retention policy dated from 2010 and, before then, there was no policy regarding records of closed cases. A series of Inglewood police shootings around 2008 attracted heightened scrutiny from activists, media and federal investigators. The city’s policy on retaining records was adopted as city officials and the Police Department were trying to improve their practices and rebuild public confidence. However, the 2010 policy eventually became an administrative burden, Butts said, because it applied to any discharge of a weapon, including cases when a dog charged an officer or when officers fired a weapon and no one was hit. The more serious cases no longer had any active threads, he said, because the related civil lawsuits had been settled and criminal investigations concluded. But Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California,
called Inglewood’s actions an attempt to thwart “the will of Californians.” In the past, California police have shredded records to avoid scrutiny. In the 1970s, the Los Angeles Police Department famously destroyed more than 4 tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had little access to them. The new legislation begins to unwind those restrictions. Butts called the current incarnation of his city’s police department a model agency, despite a 2016 incident in which Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car, killing both. Butts noted that five officers involved in that shooting no longer work for the department and that a review of the officers’ actions, which could lead to prosecution, is ongoing. State law requires holding onto police records for at least five years and Butts said it makes sense for Inglewood to align with that standard. Butts said he does not know whether documents already have been destroyed. The Police Department could have acted anytime after the City Council’s decision earlier this month, he said. He is not inclined to reconsider. “Then how long do you keep these records?” he said. “Do you keep these records forever? You’re not going to do that.”
Continued from page 1: 2020 Presidential Race
and invest in the state. For years, California Democrats have complained that candidates came to the state to raise money from the entertainment and tech industries without its voters playing a meaningful role in the outcome of the race. “Anybody who is running for president who cares about getting votes in California will chose to campaign here,” Padilla said. “Those who don’t chose to campaign here – that sends a very strong message, regardless of party.” Padilla said the shift also was intended to push candidates to address the issues that concern Californians such as environmental protec-
tion, climate change and immigration, which could end up benefiting candidates with a more progressive agenda that matches the state’s left-leaning electorate. That could create tension for candidates who simultaneously may be courting more moderate electorates in places like New Hampshire and South Carolina or force them to limit their appeal to one faction of the Democratic Party over another. Michael Ceraso, who ran Sanders’ operation in California, said the primary will be a referendum on the state’s political priorities. “Do you support the California progressive agenda?” he said. But it isn’t only California that could reshape the nomination process. Delegate-rich states such as Texas and North Carolina also are scheduled to hold a primary on Super Tuesday, significantly widening the battlefield. The result could be a Democratic field reduced to a handful of candidates a month after the primaries begin in early February. (The full primary schedule will not be finalized until 2019.) The prospect of competing in California and other Super Tuesday states means candidates likely cannot afford to wait to raise money and build an organization, suggesting a flurry of campaign announcements could come early next year, strategists say. Some campaigns will have to determine whether to try to compete in California at all or risk ceding delegates from the state entirely. Under Democratic Party rules, candidates in most instances must amass at least 15 percent of the vote in a given primary to be awarded delegates. Complicating the matter could be the presence in the field of Californians including U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and billionaire Tom Steyer. Strategists say candidates cannot afford to neglect Iowa and New Hampshire. The news media’s focus will remain on the winners of those contests, making deep expenditures in California a possible risk without reward. That is why Jeff Link, a Democratic strategist in Iowa who has worked for the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and Obama, argues that early voting in California will make the initial primary states even more relevant, as those voters will be looking to identify front-runners. “Iowa and New Hampshire will come while people have ballots in their hands,” Link said.
dozen or so Democrats who are considering entering the race from getting in. Iowa and New Hampshire have zealously guarded their position as the points of entry for presidential aspirants. But with their small and largely homogenous populations, they may be more a part of the Democratic Party’s past than its future, as liberal elements within the diverse party have pushed to have a bigger say in the selection of a nominee. In the 2016 race, the two states combined to apportion 68 Democratic delegates to presidential candidates. California, the biggest prize, awarded 475. The candidate who amasses the majority of delegates will be formally nominated at the party’s convention in the summer of 2020 and then likely will face President Donald Trump, a Republican, in the general election as he seeks a second term. California’s secretary of state, Alex Padilla, made clear in an interview with Reuters that the primary was moved up to require contenders to campaign
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December 27, 2018
CHARLOTTESVILLE CAR ATTACKER:
PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE
HAPPY NEW YEAR! FROM INGLEWOOD TODAY! Publisher’s Message 2018 is only a few days away and this one will probably remain as one of the most tumultuous in our nation’s history. On the local scene Inglewood residents have much to remember and much to celebrate. INGLEWOOD TODAY has already covered the milestones reached by Mayor James T. Butts and the City Council. From the emerging development of the new NFL arena on Prairie Avenue and the announcement by the Los Angeles Clippers that they intend to move their team to the City of Inglewood and build a world-class
basketball arena, our residents will surely benefit from the billions of dollars that will be invested, providing jobs, opportunities and tax revenue for the city and its residents. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s announcement to build a youth orchestra facility that will include hundreds of our youth and the decision of the Girl Scouts to move their regional headquarters to the city, are also items for which Inglewood residents should be proud. While there has been much more this year that distinguishes the City of Inglewood from other California cities, and cities na-
tionwide for that matter, the most recent and very exciting news in the city was Mayor Butts’ resounding victory over his opponents to serve another four years. Voters were not dissuaded by the negative campaign tactics executed by one of his opponents and sent a loud and very clear message to those who financed his failing efforts. Congratulations again Mayor Butts! Most of the tumult of 2018 is attributable to Donald Trump. Never in my memory do I recall a president who is a prolific liar, one who alienates our worldwide allies and coddles the likes of the headsof-state in Russia, North Korea and the Philippines. And now, as the nation faces a partial shutdown over a wall that makes absolutely no sense – that he asserted Mexico would pay for, there is turmoil among the White House Staff, there is no resolution to the immigrants who are literally dying as they await legal immigration, the Mueller investigation continues to rack up indictments and guilty pleas and Trump’s criminal activities continue to make headline news. Note the chart below that displays the level of criminality of the Trump Foundation which has been dissolved by the State of New York I pray for a ‘Happy New Year’ for all of you who have supported INGLEWOOD TODAY during 2018 and hope that the new year will bring health, happiness and prosperity to all of you. I also pray that those who are in a position to influence Trump help him understand that he is the president for all Americans, not just the small percentage who comprise his base. Happy New Year!
The choices you make today can have a great impact on tomorrow.
LIFE PLUS 419 YEARS Francis Taylor, Asst. Editor
A jury recommends that the man who rammed his car into a crowd of people during the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville in 2017 should spend life in prison plus 419 years behind bars. James Alex Fields, 21, was found guilty of first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated malicious wounding and three counts of malicious wounding in the incident. The jury reached the decision after about four hours of deliberations, according to The Associated Press. The judge in the case will ultimately hand down the sentence. Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer who was killed in the crash, spoke after the sentencing of how she “trusted the system of justice to handle what it needed to handle.” “I thank the jury for their careful and thoughtful work,” she said. “In the end, the hands of justice say he needs to be kept away from society for a while, and I’m content with that.” Bro said that she is “kind of running through 50 different emotions” at the moment and “it’s so hard to process.” “We’ve all been damaged permanently but we do survive. We do move for-
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PRESENTS
KWANZAA 2018
WHEN: Saturday, December 29, Noon–5 pm WHAT: Join us for the Museum’s 35th annual
Kwanzaa event, a celebrations of African-American heritage that is rooted in seven principles known as Nguzo Saba, which promote unity, culture, and community development. Black Comics Collective will do a live drawing inspired by the seven principles. Oyu Oro will performs music and dance from Afro-Cuban traditions. The festival also features a local artisan marketplace. Kwanzaa is hosted by Linda H. Humes, scholar and storyteller. Kwanzaa 2018 is provided, in part, by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc. and the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt. Kwanzaa 2018 is co-presented by Community Works and New Heritage Theatre Group. The Kwanzaa marketplace is organized by the Harlem Arts Alliance.
WHERE: American Museum of Natural History Milstein Hall of Ocean Life
ADMISSION- Free for Members or with Museum admission
ward. We don’t stay in that dark place,” Bro said. The 10 charges Fields faced in this trial in the Charlottesville City Circuit Court are separate from the 30 federal charges he faces that relate to hate crimes. One of those federal charges is eligible for the death penalty. He entered a not guilty plea in both the Circuit Court case and to the federal charges. The sentence came the day after jurors heard victim impact statements from Bro and several people who suffered injuries in the August 2017 crash. The Associated Press reported that Bro said Fields was trying to “silence” her daughter and “I refuse to allow that.” “I don’t hate Mr. Fields ... I’m leaving him in the hands of justice,” she said.
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER/ EDITOR Willie Brown VICE PRESIDENT Gloria Kennedy ASSISTANT EDITOR Francis Taylor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Francis Taylor Anne Cheek La Rose QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER Gloria Kennedy Inglewood Today Weekly is a legally adjudicated newspaper of public circ ulation, published weekly by Ads Up Advertising, Inc. News and press releases may be submitted for consideration by mail to 9111 La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 100, Inglewood, CA 90301 or by email to itnetworks@msn.com.
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December 27, 2018
Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams busts through the Eagles’ line for a 4-yard touchdown on December 16, at the Coliseum. Gurley will probably sit out his second straight game against San Francisco Sunday at 1:25 p.m. because of a knee injury. It’s the Ram’s last regular season game before they start the playoffs. By Steve Finley
Charger quarterback Phillip Rivers will lead his team against Denver on the road on Sunday. The 11-4 Chargers can still win their division if everything falls in place on Sunday
USC forward Nick Rakocevic blocks the shot of the University of Nevada’s Jordan Caroline on December 1, at the Galen Center. The Trojans open Pac-12 play at home on Thursday, January 3, against California at 7 p.m.
Patrick Beverly and the Clippers will play home games against San Antonio on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Philadelphia on Tuesday, New Years day at 7:30 p.m.