News, Column: If California finally starts cracking down on rogue sheriffs, thank Alex Villanueva : detailed suggestions and opinions about Column: If California finally starts cracking down on rogue sheriffs, thank Alex Villanueva .
Every time we get an update from election officials it becomes clearer just how badly Sheriff Alex Villanueva underestimated the people of Los Angeles County.
People like Helen Jones, a Black woman who grew up over-policed in Watts.
It was back in 2009 that her son, John Horton, died in jail, just weeks after his 22nd birthday. Initially, the Sheriff’s Department called it suicide, saying he had hanged himself. But subsequent medical reports turned up signs of severe physical trauma.
Jones wanted to pursue criminal charges, but filed a wrongful-death lawsuit instead. The county settled in 2016 for $2 million.
Leave a Comment