Public defenders are not usually household names, but many Orange Countians—especially those involved in law enforcement or the justice system—are well aware of Scott Sanders. He retired last month after 32 years in the public defender’s office. In the words of the current District Attorney Todd Spitzer, “he’s made the system better.”
That’s an understatement given Sanders’ outsized role exposing unconstitutional law-enforcement behavior. Sanders is known for his role in the Orange County “snitch scandal.” The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in 2017 began a six-year investigation into allegations the county DA’s office and sheriff’s department for years used jailhouse informants to gather information about defendants.
Problematically, Orange County’s law-enforcement officials didn’t disclose that information to defense attorneys, which is a violation of the law. “The informant controversy continues to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the Orange County criminal legal system,” DOJ concluded in a 2022 report. The revelations unraveled at least 59 criminal cases.
During his research into a murder case, Sanders “stumbled on an organized effort by Orange County prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies to use jailhouse informants in a way that violated the rights of defendants, a clandestine ring that had illegally been kept secret for years from defense attorneys,” per a Register report. Prosecutors and police mocked him, but his instincts were correct.
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Xavier Becerra, the candidate no one wanted Lara’s lux travel grounds his good insurance work Higher water rates vs. the right to water Trump needs a better game plan for cutting government Can California get real about high gas prices? His revelations led to state and federal investigations and ultimately and belatedly to reforms. Although the scandal emerged under past DA and sheriff administrations, Sanders’ revelations led the feds to continue pushing for local reforms. Spitzer, who to his credit has been a constructive force in reforming the department in the scandal’s aftermath, nevertheless noted that Sanders’ writing “can be very bombastic, animated and salacious.”Had Sanders not been so dogged, it’s hard to believe anything would have been exposed—especially after former Attorney General Kamala Harris’ shameful failure to intervene. It takes tough-minded and relentless people to root out corruption and reform the government. Hopefully, others like Sanders will rise to meet future challenges. He’s certainly a good model.
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