DUO FACING BRIBERY CHARGES.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer As part of a widening investigation into a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Superior Court bribery bribery Crime of giving a benefit (e.g., money) in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust (e.g., an official or witness). Accepting a bribe also constitutes a crime. scandal, the owners of a Calabasas company were arraigned Thursday on charges of bribing a court employee, prosecutors said. Disciplinary action, which has included firings, had already been taken against 15 court employees who were under investigation for performing illegal name searches for various companies, including Pro Scan, court Executive Officer John A. Clarke said in a prepared statement. The Calabasas company does business with the court in conducting name searches. Criminal charges have already been filed against eight court employees, Clarke said. Pro Scan owners Michael Stephenson Michael Stephenson may be:
Bail was set at $357,000, ``which is the estimated loss to the court,'' Koumjian said. Stephenson and Martinez and their attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. A Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. court employee, Silina Douglas, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of bribery of a government employee, accepting a bribe BRIBE, crim. law. The gift or promise, which is accepted, of some advantage, as the inducement for some illegal act or omission; or of some illegal emolument, as a consideration, for preferring one person to another, in the performance of a legal act. , public officer crime and unauthorized computer access, said her Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. attorney Lawrence Longo. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 29. ``She worked in the clerk's office in Santa Monica,'' Longo said. ``She's only peripherally involved in this whole thing. It's very minor compared to the people running Pro Scan.'' Clarke claimed that rather than paying the court fee for a name search, the owners of Pro Scan bribed court employees to conduct searches for less than the court's $5 fee. ``The court is working aggressively to search out illegal activity and assist the District Attorney's Office with its investigation,'' Clarke said. The investigation targeted court employees who may have been conducting unofficial un·of·fi·cial adj. Of or being a drug that is not listed in the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary. searches for Pro Scan. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion