Rocky Delgadillo
Encyclopedia
Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (born July 15, 1960) is an American
politician
. He is the 6th and former City Attorney
of Los Angeles
, California
.
, where he won the Robert F. Kennedy Award given each year to a member of the varsity football team who demonstrates a strong desire, determination, and willingness to work hard as a valuable member of the team earning the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches. Delgadillo trained briefly with CFL
team Hamilton Tiger-Cats
before being cut.http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/05/20/state/n221905D13.DTL He went on to Columbia Law School
, graduating in 1986.
After a short time in private practice at the prestigious Los Angeles law firm O'Melveny & Meyers, he joined Rebuild LA, a non-profit formed in the wake of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. He later joined the administration of Mayor Richard Riordan, eventually becoming deputy mayor for economic development.
He ran against former Governor and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown
in the 2006 race for the Democratic nomination for state Attorney General
of California. He lost by a wide margin, despite having spent over $3 million on television commercials in the last few weeks of the election.
" theory of law enforcement. Among the programs Delgadillo has implemented is a neighborhood prosecutor program that put city attorneys in each of the city's police divisions. He has also sped up the implementation of civil gang injunctions, which largely limit association by gang members in certain defined areas. Civil rights groups have challenged the injunctions, but the state's courts have upheld them. They have come under renewed attention recently, particularly in South Los Angeles
, where some community members have complained that it is difficult for gang members to escape a sometimes intrusive law enforcement structure.
In response to concerns expressed by some members of the City Council, as well as some L.A. residents, regarding the City's injunction policies, the City Attorney's Office in April 2007 issued a report on gang injunctions and an accompanying set of guidelines that articulated the proper application and use of injunctions, as well as providing a roadmap for reformed gang members to get themselves off an injunction. Although they faced some criticism from the ACLU, these guidelines were embraced by community members as well as members of the City Council and law enforcement officials, who viewed them as striking a careful balance between effective gang suppression and respecting the civil liberties of those accused.
One of the most well-publicized prosecutions by Delgadillo's office was that of entertainer Paul Reubens
, more commonly known as Pee Wee Herman, for possession of child pornography. Delgadillo's office arranged a plea bargain requiring Reubens to pay a $100 fine and serve three years of probation.http://www.lacity.org/atty/attypress/attyattypress6918418_03192004.pdf Delgadillo was criticized, for recommending to the Los Angeles City Council that the City pay $2.7 million to black firefighter Tennie Pierce, who alleged he was fed dog food as a firehouse prank and later retaliated against by his fellow firefighters when he complained to superiors. Delgadillo argued that the City would be forced to pay even more money to Mr. Pierce had the case gone to trial, in light of a troubling audit of race relations at the department by City Controller Laura Chick, and jury verdicts in past cases of a similar nature.
According to the Los Angeles Times, in September 2007, the City of Los Angeles agreed to pay Pierce $1.49 million to avoid going to trial, with the blessing of the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa
, who had vetoed the earlier $2.7 million settlement offer proposed by Delgadillo, and the City Council. With legal costs to the City reaching an estimated $1.35 million, the taxpayers ended up having to pay out $2.84 million in the Pierce matter.
While he was City Attorney, Delgadillo repeatedly let his wife drive his city-issued GMC Yukon. During one such incident, she extensively damaged the car. At the time of the crash, Michelle Delgadillo had a suspended driver's license and an outstanding arrest warrant and was not permitted to operate a motor vehicle under the law. Delgadillo and his wife had the car repaired, and then expensed it to the city. Though Delgadillo later repaid the over $1,000 bill, the issue and later scandals caused substantial media interest in his office.
After the Yukon incident, the media continued to investigate Delgadillo. They next discovered a scandal wherein Delgadillo and his wife had city attorney employees baby sit and run personal errands. Delgadillo said in a statement to the press that he had relied on city employees to take care of some errands, but that he had offered personal payment for their time. He continued by saying that all of the employees took their personal time for these errands.
In 2007, Delgadillo's wife, Michelle, was the subject of an investigation from California's Franchise Tax Board. A consulting firm that she had been running had failed to file tax returns since its inception in 2005, and was later barred from operating in California.
Jerry Brown
running for governor
, Delgadillo announced that he again would seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. During the campaign, his previous missteps began to take their toll. In the L.A. Times endorsement, the editorial board remarked that he had been a "deep disappointment" as city attorney. Delgadillo lost the Democratic Party primary to Kamala Harris
, who won the seat in the general election.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is the 6th and former City Attorney
Los Angeles City Attorney
The Los Angeles City Attorney is an elected official whose job is to prosecute all of the misdemeanor criminal offenses within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The General Counsel Division of the office provides legal counsel for the city by either defending the city or acting...
of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Career
- Teacher / Coach, Los Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School DistrictLos Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
, Franklin - Attorney, O’Melveny & Myers
- Director of Business Development, Rebuild LA
- Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Office of Mayor Richard RiordanRichard RiordanRichard J. Riordan is a Republican politician from California, U.S.A. who served as the California Secretary for Education from 2003–2005 and as the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1993–2001...
- Elected City Attorney of Los Angeles 2001
- Re-elected City Attorney of Los Angeles 2005
Biography
Rocky Delgadillo is a native of the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park. Delgadillo attended Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, where he won the Robert F. Kennedy Award given each year to a member of the varsity football team who demonstrates a strong desire, determination, and willingness to work hard as a valuable member of the team earning the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches. Delgadillo trained briefly with CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
team Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
before being cut.http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/05/20/state/n221905D13.DTL He went on to Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, graduating in 1986.
After a short time in private practice at the prestigious Los Angeles law firm O'Melveny & Meyers, he joined Rebuild LA, a non-profit formed in the wake of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles. He later joined the administration of Mayor Richard Riordan, eventually becoming deputy mayor for economic development.
He ran against former Governor and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
in the 2006 race for the Democratic nomination for state Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of California. He lost by a wide margin, despite having spent over $3 million on television commercials in the last few weeks of the election.
City Attorney
As City Attorney, he has subscribed to the "broken windowsFixing Broken Windows
The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm setting and signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior...
" theory of law enforcement. Among the programs Delgadillo has implemented is a neighborhood prosecutor program that put city attorneys in each of the city's police divisions. He has also sped up the implementation of civil gang injunctions, which largely limit association by gang members in certain defined areas. Civil rights groups have challenged the injunctions, but the state's courts have upheld them. They have come under renewed attention recently, particularly in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
, where some community members have complained that it is difficult for gang members to escape a sometimes intrusive law enforcement structure.
In response to concerns expressed by some members of the City Council, as well as some L.A. residents, regarding the City's injunction policies, the City Attorney's Office in April 2007 issued a report on gang injunctions and an accompanying set of guidelines that articulated the proper application and use of injunctions, as well as providing a roadmap for reformed gang members to get themselves off an injunction. Although they faced some criticism from the ACLU, these guidelines were embraced by community members as well as members of the City Council and law enforcement officials, who viewed them as striking a careful balance between effective gang suppression and respecting the civil liberties of those accused.
One of the most well-publicized prosecutions by Delgadillo's office was that of entertainer Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
, more commonly known as Pee Wee Herman, for possession of child pornography. Delgadillo's office arranged a plea bargain requiring Reubens to pay a $100 fine and serve three years of probation.http://www.lacity.org/atty/attypress/attyattypress6918418_03192004.pdf Delgadillo was criticized, for recommending to the Los Angeles City Council that the City pay $2.7 million to black firefighter Tennie Pierce, who alleged he was fed dog food as a firehouse prank and later retaliated against by his fellow firefighters when he complained to superiors. Delgadillo argued that the City would be forced to pay even more money to Mr. Pierce had the case gone to trial, in light of a troubling audit of race relations at the department by City Controller Laura Chick, and jury verdicts in past cases of a similar nature.
According to the Los Angeles Times, in September 2007, the City of Los Angeles agreed to pay Pierce $1.49 million to avoid going to trial, with the blessing of the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, who had vetoed the earlier $2.7 million settlement offer proposed by Delgadillo, and the City Council. With legal costs to the City reaching an estimated $1.35 million, the taxpayers ended up having to pay out $2.84 million in the Pierce matter.
While he was City Attorney, Delgadillo repeatedly let his wife drive his city-issued GMC Yukon. During one such incident, she extensively damaged the car. At the time of the crash, Michelle Delgadillo had a suspended driver's license and an outstanding arrest warrant and was not permitted to operate a motor vehicle under the law. Delgadillo and his wife had the car repaired, and then expensed it to the city. Though Delgadillo later repaid the over $1,000 bill, the issue and later scandals caused substantial media interest in his office.
After the Yukon incident, the media continued to investigate Delgadillo. They next discovered a scandal wherein Delgadillo and his wife had city attorney employees baby sit and run personal errands. Delgadillo said in a statement to the press that he had relied on city employees to take care of some errands, but that he had offered personal payment for their time. He continued by saying that all of the employees took their personal time for these errands.
In 2007, Delgadillo's wife, Michelle, was the subject of an investigation from California's Franchise Tax Board. A consulting firm that she had been running had failed to file tax returns since its inception in 2005, and was later barred from operating in California.
Attorney General campaign
With incumbent California Attorney GeneralCalifornia Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
running for governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, Delgadillo announced that he again would seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. During the campaign, his previous missteps began to take their toll. In the L.A. Times endorsement, the editorial board remarked that he had been a "deep disappointment" as city attorney. Delgadillo lost the Democratic Party primary to Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney. She is the 32nd and current Attorney General of California following the 2010 California state elections. Harris has worked as an author and a politician and has served as District Attorney of San Francisco since 2004...
, who won the seat in the general election.