LA County Jail is so nasty that one former inmate says it makes you -nostalgic for prison.- Five inmate killings in the past seven months have focused a spotlight on LA-s overcrowded jails. District Attorney Steve Cooley says witnesses won-t testify due to fear of being killed while they-re in jail, and even the New York Times has written about the slayings that outnumber those at San Quentin prison over 8 years. One murder suspect strangled a witness. Another inmate lay dead in a laundry basket for 16 hours. Last week, Sheriff Lee Baca showed reporters deterioration and overcrowding at downtown Central Jail, where most of the killings occur. Last weekend, at the County jail in Castaic, a 19 year-old inmate serving a 180-day sentence for carrying a concealed knife was beaten almost to death by four fellow prisoners at two in the afternoon. Warren Olney hears both sides of the story from DA Cooley and Sheriff Baca.
- Making News: State Supreme Court Hears San Francisco-s Gay Marriage Case
Did San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom abuse his authority when he issued 4000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples this year? The State Supreme Court heard that question today, and it-s expected to have an answer in 90 days. Peter Blumberg, who is covering the case for the San Francisco Daily Journal, says that although the court will likely decide against Newsom, the decision may not invalidate the marriages already performed.
California Supreme Court on San Francisco Same-Sex Marriage Cases
LA County Correctional Facilities
NY Times article on county jail, recent killings
