The names of the people visiting jailed Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez will remain a secret due to a recent decision by Los Angeles County Sheriff officials.
Update 4:50 p.m.:
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca called Los Cerritos Community Newspaper regarding the below published article 20 minutes after this was published.
Baca confirmed that Noguez has only received “one visitor” since being arrested, a female, who has visited him on seven different occasions.
Baca would not disclose the name of the female visitor.
–Brian Hews, Publisher
Original post:
By Brian Hews
Jailed Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez has been receiving a steady stream of visitors since his October 17th arrest on more than two dozen felony counts of forgery, money laundering and the accepting of bribes.
But the identities of those individuals who have been seeing the elected public official behind bars will remain a mystery thanks to a California state law.
Hews Media Group, the owner of Los Cerritos Community Newspaper, made a formal written request to LA County Sheriff Lee Baca for a list of those who have entered the Los Angeles County Jail in Downtown on November 19 to visit Noguez.
LCCN was the first media outlet to report on the alleged “pay to play” practices inside the Los Angeles County Assessor’s operation back in February. Since then, it has published more than 70 articles surrounding the situation and its coverage will be considered for a 2013 Pulitzer Prize.
LCCN’s request to get the list of Noguez visitors was denied by Baca based upon advice from the Los Angeles County Counsel and referring to laws on the books in California.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
Noguez is still being paid his nearly $200,000.00 annual salary and is being held in an isolated cells due to his high profile status.
This week it was revealed that Noguez will be receiving a cost of living increase in his salary that has sparked additional outrage by members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and radio talk show hosts in Southern California including the popular “David Cruz Show” on KTLK AM 1150 who has been reporting on the case for most of this past year.
On Tuesday, the five member board of Supervisors attempted to have Noguez removed from office, but to no avail.
Baca told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in a written letter: “ Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you with your request. California Constitution, Article 1, protects the identity and information about a person based upon that person’s right to privacy.”
LCCN also placed a call into Noguez attorney Michael Proctor on Thursday afternoon for comment. He was out of the office and a message has been left.
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