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ADDA Comments on Reassignment of Deputies in Grossman Case
The Association of Deputy District Attorneys yesterday issued the following statement in response to a decision by the Office of District Attorney to remove lawyers from the Rebecca Grossman case because her lawyer, James Spertus, is also representing Assistant District Attorney Diana Teran. Grossman was convicted of the murder of two boys, Mark and Jacob Iskander, by running them down in a crosswalk while driving at an excessive speed, and a sentencing hearing is upcoming. Teran is charged by the Attorney General’s Office with 11 counts of illegally accessing and using electronic records relating to deputy sheriffs.
Deputy District Attorneys Ryan Gould and Jamie Castro have done excellent work on this challenging and heart-breaking case. And we are grateful to their supervisor, Garrett Dameron, for supporting them in that effort. We are proud to work alongside each of them.
The District Attorney’s decision to sideline these talented, dedicated, career prosecutors from this case on the eve of crucial post-trial motions undermines their efforts and those of the entire prosecution team. It is also hurtful and insensitive to the Iskander family.
The District Attorney and his Chief Deputy, Joseph F. Iniguez, made this decision only after the assigned prosecutors sought to investigate an apparent ethical conflict involving defense counsel, the defendant, and Diana Teran, a supervisor in our office.
This raises many troubling questions, beginning with why wouldn’t the District Attorney let these prosecutors file this motion? Is the District Attorney worried that Teran would be called as a witness and obligated, under oath, to answer questions about office operations? Is he afraid such testimony or questioning may lead to inquiries into other decisions and cases that Teran oversaw?
Two weeks ago, after the Attorney General charged Teran with eleven felonies, we called on the District Attorney to address questions about Teran sooner rather than later, and preferably in a live public press conference.
We’re still waiting, and so is Los Angeles.
With every passing day, it seems increasingly clear that this administration cares more about advancing and protecting their own narrow political interests than doing the right thing.
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