The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has defunded the Sheriff’s Department. Less money means less safety and less services. Now the few criminals the DA is willing to prosecute are having a problem getting to court.
“The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday that 32 out of a total of 82 buses that transport incarcerated people to and from L.A. County courthouses were in the repair shop “for various reason[s].” That means nearly 40% of the fleet was unusable.
LAist spoke or texted with five public defenders and a court employee for this story who spoke to us on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They say the transportation shortage has wreaked havoc on courtroom schedules.
This is a disaster caused by the crime loving Board of Supervisors. Thought you should know.
By Emily Elena Dugdale, LA1st, 8/19/22
Nearly three dozen of the L.A. Sheriff’s Department buses that provide transportation to and from local courthouses are in the repair shop.
With nearly three dozen Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department court transportation buses out of service, some incarcerated people are missing important court dates or forced to stay in county jails longer, according to a court employee and multiple public defenders in courtrooms across the county.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday that 32 out of a total of 82 buses that transport incarcerated people to and from L.A. County courthouses were in the repair shop “for various reason[s].” That means nearly 40% of the fleet was unusable.
LAist spoke or texted with five public defenders and a court employee for this story who spoke to us on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They say the transportation shortage has wreaked havoc on courtroom schedules.
The court employee told us that one judge had to order a special extraction order to ensure that one woman made it to court after days of transportation issues.
