After
nearly eight years in office, Steve Cooley has realized his goal of
establishing the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as
the premier local prosecution agency in the nation, as well as the
largest. Constrained by severe County budget limitations in his
first term, Cooley has now been able to hire bright, enthusiastic
lawyers to join court-tested veterans who are recognized national
experts in areas such as DNA evidence, public corruption, foreign
extradition, fraud and gang prosecution.
Cooley led a massive reorganization of the District Attorney’s Office in his
first term. The restructuring was influenced by his 27 years of experience in
the Office as a prosecutor and law clerk and nearly six years as a reserve
officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. The changes are now providing
unparalleled breadth and quality of prosecution efforts. He has developed a team
equally capable of fighting crime in the streets and in the corridors of power.
The District Attorney has been relentless in his pursuit of public corruption
and of lawbreakers within the justice system. He created the
Public Integrity
Division that has prosecuted politicians whose misconduct had gone unpunished
for years. For his work in this area and others, Cooley and the Office have
received numerous awards and commendations. He also formed the
Justice System
Integrity Division that led to prison sentences for crooked lawyers who were
accustomed to a mere slap on the wrist.
Recognizing the scientific advances that have occurred in the investigation and
prosecution of crimes, Cooley created a Forensic Science Section. Under his
leadership, the use of DNA and other new techniques in solving so-called “cold
cases” has been given priority. His office co-authored Proposition 69,
California’s all-felon DNA data base law.
Cooley took the lead in demanding a reversal of Mexico’s refusal to extradite
accused criminals who face life sentences in the United States. Key to his
efforts was the creation of the Web site
EscapingJustice.com
that highlighted the issue by telling the stories of victims whose killers fled
to Mexico. In 2005, the Mexican Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling and
allowed criminals facing life terms to be extradited. The office has since
returned several murderers, including the killer of Sheriff’s Deputy David
March.
In an effort to advance public safety, the District Attorney recently created
the Criminal Justice Institute to showcase experts in the Office who – along
with groups like the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County – provide
high quality training programs to justice system professionals.
Steve Cooley is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of California State
University, Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Southern California
Law Center in 1973. He joined the District Attorney’s Office that same year. He
and his wife Jana have lived in Toluca Lake for more than 30 years. They have
two grown children.
APRIL 2008
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Site updated:
22 Apr 2008