RIORDAN'S PICKS FOR POLICE PANEL RAISE CONCERNS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Mayor Richard Riordan has tapped prominent defense attorney Gerald Chaleff and civil litigator Dean Hansell to replace the president and vice president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, officials said Tuesday.

While the appointees themselves drew general praise from civic leaders, some officials raised questions about whether the newly constituted panel will reflect the city's diversity.

The mayor also was criticized for undermining the panel's independence by removing Commissioner Art Mattox after he refused to approve the mayor's choice for interim chief.

Riordan has scheduled a news conference for today to announce that Chaleff, who was a defense attorney in the ``Hillside Strangler'' case, will replace Police Commission President Ray Fisher, who has been nominated by President Clinton as the No. 3 person in the U.S. Justice Department.

The mayor also has decided not to reappoint commission Vice President Mattox, whose four-year term will expire Monday. Mattox, who is the first openly gay person to serve on the commission, is being replaced by Hansell, the co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Chaleff and Hansell were praised by City Council members and others for their intelligence and experience, but some observers complained that having a commission with four men and one woman is not representative of the city's gender makeup.

In addition, some observers noted that Mattox voted with Fisher two months ago to appoint Bayan Lewis as interim chief despite the mayor's recommendation that Bernard Parks get the job.

``We speculated that he (Mattox) would be in hot water for voting against the mayor,'' said police union director Cliff Ruff.

Mattox, who had asked to be reappointed, said he does not regret voting against the mayor's wishes on the chief issue.

``Obviously, I'm disappointed I wasn't reappointed,'' he said.

Mayoral spokeswoman Noelia Rodriguez denied that the removal of Mattox had anything to do with Mattox's vote to appoint Lewis as interim chief.

``Absolutely not,'' she said, adding that Mattox ``fulfilled his appointed term with dedication, integrity and a real commitment to making Los Angeles safer for all Angelenos.''

She praised Chaleff for his ``terrific record of service to his profession and to the city,'' and said Hansell has ``a solid background in the field of law and in the community.''

Chaleff is a partner in the law firm of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliff, where he heads the firm's white-collar criminal defense practice.

Chaleff also served as a deputy general counsel to the Webster Commission, which was critical of the Los Angeles Police Department's slow response to the 1992 riots.

Hansell is a partner with the law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, where he specializes in litigation.

Councilwoman Laura Chick predicted the appointments would be closely scrutinized by the council, especially because of the way they affect the makeup of the panel.

``I find it curious that having four men and one woman would be considered to be reflective of the city. That is a very serious concern on my part,'' Chick said.

Added Katherine Spillar of the Fund for the Feminist Majority: ``There seems to be an unwritten quota to have one woman on the commission,'' she said. ``We're disappointed.''