Crime

Activists Urging Lacey to ‘Do Her Job’ in Second Ed Buck Death

Los Angeles Sentinel — Local activists are urging District Attorney Jackie Lacey to “do her job” and find that the evidence presented to Los Angeles Sheriff’s is probable cause to immediately charge and prosecute Ed Buck in spite of his “Whiteness, wealth, and her political ambitions,” in the death of Timothy Dean, the second man to die at Buck’s residence.

Published

5 years ago

July 30, 2019

Oakland Post

By Jennifer Bihm

Local activists are urging District Attorney Jackie Lacey to “do her job” and find that the evidence presented to Los Angeles Sheriff’s is probable cause to immediately charge and prosecute Ed Buck in spite of his “Whiteness, wealth, and her political ambitions,” in the death of Timothy Dean, the second man to die at Buck’s residence.

“We’ve done all that we could do to aid the sheriff’s investigators with their investigation,” said community activist and advocate, Jasmyne Cannick.

“Once again, we gathered evidence and brought the sheriff’s other young men who could speak directly to their experiences with Ed Buck. I hope that this time around, the political will and prosecutorial creativity that we’ve seen used so often against Black people is used to bring charges against Ed Buck for the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean. Two men have died on the same mattress, in the same living room, of the same drug, at the same man’s house within months of each other …”

Dean, 55, died in Buck’s home of a methamphetamine overdose, according to the L.A. County Coroner, just months after Gemmel Moore, 26, died of the same cause. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced that Dean’s death was accidental. Moore’s death was also deemed accidental.

But activists say nothing about either death was an accident. In fact, they said, Buck targeted, recruited and enticed at least Moore, for sexual acts. In his journal, Moore wrote, “I honestly don’t know what to do. I’ve become addicted to drugs and the worst one at that,” a December entry reads. “Ed Buck is the one to thank. He gave me my first injection of crystal meth; it was very painful, but after all the troubles, I became addicted to the pain and fetish/fantasy.”

Meanwhile, Dean’s roommate came forward to say that he never saw Dean use drugs, though Buck’s attorney has maintained the man was high before even reaching Buck’s residence.

“I lived with him, and he never did drugs. I’ve never seen him on drugs, ever,” he told KTLA.

Buck, who is in his sixties and is gay, is a regular campaign donor to the Democratic party. According to an L.A. Times report, Buck waited 15 minutes before calling 911 for Dean. Moore’s family has accused Buck of injecting him with meth and forcing him to watch “hardcore gay male pornography which played loudly on a large flat-screen television set while engaging in sex acts.”

“My life is at an all-time [sic] high right now & I mean that from all ways. I ended up back at Buck [sic] house again and got manipulated [sic] into slamming again,” reads another entry from Moore’s journal.

“I even went to the point where I was forced to doing four within a two-day [sic] period. This man is crazy and it’s [sic] sad. Will I ever get help?”

Attorney Nana Gyamfi says, “Los Angeles County District Attorney has a duty to charge and prosecute Ed Buck for the murders of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean and for all the crimes he committed against the Black gay men he targeted for torture and harm, for his pleasure and amusement.”

Moore family co-counsel Hussain Turk added, “The district attorneys overseeing the Ed Buck investigation have sat idly for almost two years, while evidence brought to them by eyewitnesses continues to spoil. From the moment Gemmel Moore’s body was found in Ed Buck’s drug infested apartment, there was enough evidence to file charges. From the moment Timothy Dean’s body was found on the same mattress, in the same room, dead from having ingested the same substance as Gemmel Moore, there was enough evidence to file charges. This is not about having sufficient evidence; this is about a widespread administrative failure to treat evidence with the care and attention it deserves because the victims are Black gay men and the suspect is a rich White benefactor of the Democratic party.”

On Saturday, July 27, family and friends of Moore will gather in front of Buck’s West Hollywood apartment to mark the two-year anniversary of his death. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit rememberinggemmelmoore.eventbrite.com and justice4gemmel.org.

This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.

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California Black Media

Commentary: Finding the Right Balance — Addressing Organized Retail Theft While Upholding Civil Liberties

Organized retail theft is a significant issue that impacts both consumers and businesses. While it is crucial to address theft and protect businesses from losses, we should also be mindful of safeguarding individuals’ constitutional rights, particularly the right to due process. AB 1990 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, also known as the STOP Act, raises concerns about the balance between addressing theft effectively and ensuring civil liberties are upheld.

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood)

By Assemblymember Tina McKinnor | Special to California Black Media Partners

AB 1990 by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, also known as the STOP Act, raises concerns about the balance between addressing theft effectively and ensuring civil liberties are upheld. This bill allows law enforcement officers to make warrantless arrests for shoplifting offenses not witnessed by the officer, as long as there is reasonable cause to believe the individual committed the crime. This bill has a dangerous potential for overreach and infringes on civil liberties, particularly the right to due process.

While the stated intention behind the STOP Act is to combat organized retail theft and protect businesses, there are valid concerns that this bill is an overreach and that existing law works, if properly enforced by our partners in law enforcement. A petty theft involving property stolen valued at $950 or less may be charged as a felony or misdemeanor (called a wobbler) if the offender has the following prior convictions:  1) at least on prior petty or theft-related conviction for which a term of imprisonment was served, and 2) a prior conviction for a serious or violent offense, for any registerable sex offense, or for embezzlement from a dependent adult or anyone over the age of 65.  A misdemeanor can result in a sentence of up to one year in jail, whereas a felon can mean incarceration for 16 months, two years or three years.  Let’s look at shoplifting in California.  It occurs when a suspect enters a store, while that establishment is open, intending to steal property worth less than $950.  The crime is considered a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in the county jail.

Granting officers the authority to arrest individuals based on reasonable cause, without witnessing the crime firsthand, can lead to negative consequences and possible violations of individual rights. Probable cause is the legal standard by which police authorities have reason to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal and for the courts to issue a search warrant. A grand jury uses the probable cause standard to determine whether or not to issue a criminal indictment.  The principle behind the probable cause standard is to limit the power of authorities to conduct unlawful search and seizure of a person or its property, and to promote formal, forensic procedures for gathering lawful evidence for the prosecution of the arrested criminal.  Reasonable cause does not require any of this due process and only requires that an officer reasonably believes that a crime has been committed. It is essential to find a middle ground that effectively addresses organized retail theft without compromising the fundamental rights of individuals.

California’s current laws, including the use of witness statements and surveillance evidence are sufficient for addressing suspected shoplifting and organized retail theft. California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently prosecuted Michelle Mack, a suspected organized smash and grab ringleader who paid twelve women to travel around California and commit over $8 million in retail theft at 21 different stores. AG Bonta used California’s current laws to have the suspect arrested and brought to justice.

The State of California is also making significant investments to address retail theft. Just this past year California invested an additional $267 million to combat organized retail theft. It has been less than a year and our law enforcement partners should have the opportunity to address this recent spike in retail theft crime.

Los Angeles County recently applied for and received a grant for the State of California for $15.6 million dollars to address retail theft enforcement.  LA District Attorney George Gascon also recently formed an organized retail task force that partners with LA County Sheriff’s Department, Glendale, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Torrance and Santa Monica Police Departments to integrate their response to retail theft across the region. These collaborative efforts, such as those seen in initiatives like the organized retail task force in LA County, demonstrate the importance of a united approach to tackling theft while maintaining a balance between enforcement and civil liberties.

As we move forward, it is essential for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, businesses and communities to work together in finding solutions that effectively address organized retail theft without encroaching on individual rights. Ongoing evaluation and a commitment to thoughtful consideration will be crucial in navigating this challenge and fostering a safe and prosperous environment for all. Balancing the scales of justice to protect businesses while upholding civil liberties demands a comprehensive and conscientious approach from all stakeholders involved.

I am confident we can find that balance.

About the Author

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents the 61^st District in Los Angeles County, which includes parts of the South Bay, Inglewood, Hawthorne and Lawndale.