Long-time sheriff had been facing scrutiny, tough reelection battle

By Brian Leubitz

The Baca family may not be as powerful as they once were, what with their number of offices held dwindling. But Sheriff Lee Baca was still something of an institution in Los Angeles County. However, he has been under increasing scrutiny over the past year, and it seems he’s finally had enough.

L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, who faced a tough battle for reelection amid scandals in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, plans to annouce his retirement, law enforcement sources told The Times.

Baca’s decision comes a month after federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against 18 current and former sheriff’s deputies accused of beating jail inmates and visitors, trying to intimidate an FBI agent and other crimes following an investigation of corruption inside the nation’s largest jail system.(LA Times)

He’s supposed to be announcing this, well, about now, but the speculation is that he will step down at the end of the month, well before his term ends.  A number of candidates were already in the race, and more may enter with his resignation.

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