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The Latest: Ex-LA sheriff withdraws plea, will go to trial

The Latest: Ex-LA sheriff withdraws plea, will go to trial | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2014, file photo, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announces his retirement at a news conference at Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau in Monterey Park, Calif. Baca signed a plea agreement that said he ordered deputies to intimidate an FBI agent and "do everything but put handcuffs on her." Baca, who pleaded guilty to trying to thwart an FBI investigation into abuses at the jails he ran, is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and must decide whether he spends the best remaining days of his life fighting to stay out of jail or behind bars. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

LOS ANGELES – The Latest on the corruption case against former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca (all times local):

1:42 p.m.

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has withdrawn his guilty plea in a corruption case and will go to trial.

The decision was announced Monday after last-minute attempts to reach a new plea bargain.

Baca had pleaded guilty in February to lying to federal authorities about efforts to stifle an investigation of civil rights abuses of inmates in the county jail system.

But U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson subsequently rejected the plea agreement with prosecutors, saying a six-month sentence wasn’t tough enough even though the 74-year-old Baca is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

More than 20 members of the Sheriff’s Department have been convicted on charges ranging from assault to obstruction of justice, including Baca’s former second-in-command, who was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

A Sept. 20 trial date has been set.

___

10:10 a.m.

Negotiations are continuing between prosecutors and defence lawyers to reach an agreement on how much time in prison former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca should serve for lying to federal authorities.

Attorneys said Monday morning in federal court that they negotiated through the weekend but did not reach a deal.

The judge adjourned proceedings until the afternoon to give lawyers more time to try for a deal.

Baca pleaded guilty in February to lying to federal authorities about efforts to stifle an investigation of civil rights abuses in the county jail system.

But U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson subsequently rejected the plea agreement, saying a six-month maximum sentence wasn’t tough enough. The 74-year-old Baca is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

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