“Today’s indictment of former Los Angeles County Undersheriff Paul Tanaka and retired Capt. William Carey is a sad, but necessary, reminder of the Sheriff’s Department’s history of condoning violence. While it remains up to a court and a jury to determine Mr. Tanaka’s and Mr. Carey’s innocence or guilt, what is clear is that no one is above the law. Both men have done immeasurable harm to the department’s reputation and undermined public trust in the very agents who are supposed to serve and protect the public. As Chief Justice Earl Warren wisely noted, ‘The police must obey the law while enforcing the law.’ The indictments clearly indicate just how much work the Sheriff’s department has to do to rebuild public’s trust.”
-ACLU of Southern California Executive Director Hector Villagra