Pubdate: Sat, 04 Nov 2000
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 2000 Associated Press

FED JUDGE ASSIGNED ON LAPD REFORMS

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge was selected to oversee the 
implementation of reforms aimed at ending brutality, racial profiling and 
other alleged abuses by the Los Angeles Police Department.

The reform package, agreed to by city and federal officials after weeks of 
negotiations, is to be implemented by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess 
Jr., who was picked at random Friday.

The package includes the appointment of an independent monitor by March who 
will be charged with overseeing the LAPD for five years to ensure the 
reforms are carried out.

The reforms include improved training for police, an improved computer 
system to better monitor officers' performance, new controls on the LAPD's 
anti-gang unit, and a ban on making traffic and pedestrian stops based on 
race or ethnicity.

Feess, 52, was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton just 
last year. Since then, however, he has handled the pretrial disposition of 
nearly 100 lawsuits filed by people who said they were victimized by police 
in the worst corruption scandal in the city's history.

Since the scandal broke last year, more than 100 convictions have been 
thrown out and 20 officers have left active duty amid accusations that 
anti-gang officers shot, beat and planted evidence on innocent people, then 
lied in court to help convict them.

The alleged abuses took place in the city's poor, largely minority Rampart 
section. Four former Rampart officers are on trial for allegedly conspiring 
to frame innocent people.
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