U.S. appears to expand probe of Abuse at L.A. County jails
Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 03:35AM A federal grand jury has demanded that Los Angeles County sheriff's officials turn over all correspondence they have had with a county commission created to examine allegations of excessive force by deputies in the county jails, according to a sheriff's email obtained by The Times.
The subpoena suggests that federal authorities, in the midst of a widespread investigation of the jails, are expanding their probe to include allegations unearthed by the commission.
In recent months, that county panel has heard testimony from current and former sheriff's supervisors who have publicly alleged that top managers fostered a culture of abuse inside the jails.
But many more sheriff's employees have spoken to the commission privately. The subpoena could inadvertently force those sheriff's officials to out themselves to the department as informants.