Litigation
Jul. 30, 2002
Rampart Case Judge Will Hear Civil Calendar In Santa Monica
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jacqueline A. Connor, who presided over the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart corruption cases, was reassigned in May to hear civil court cases in Santa Monica.
The judge's reassignment, from the downtown Criminal Courts Building, was not disclosed because it is personnel-related, a court representative said.
Connor, who was married to Presiding Judge James Bascue, was a deputy district attorney before being appointed a Municipal Court judge by Gov. George Duekmejian in 1986. In 1988, she was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Connor found her name in the headlines during the Rampart corruption scandal trials. Early on, many believed she should recuse herself because of a glowing commendation letter she wrote in 1997 about rogue-cop-turned-informer Rafael Perez.
Connor later threw out the convictions of Sgts. Edward Ortiz and Brian Liddy and Officer Michael Buchanan, who were convicted of conspiracy and other charges surrounding the framing of gang members. Connor's ruling was based on post-trial comments by jurors, which indicated they focused on an issue that wasn't raised during trial.
Leslie Simmons
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