Trutanich Crime Ad: Tempest in PC Teapot

By Steven Mikulan Fri., Feb. 20 2009 at 10:41 AM

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Until last Sunday, many if not most Los Angeles voters had probably only heard of one of the City Attorney candidates, the somewhat annoying Westside City Councilman Jack Weiss. But then the Los Angeles Times endorsed Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich and we suddenly realized a race was on. The Times assured its readers that "Nuch" was a man of vision and solid virtues. Weiss' backers have found more faults than virtues, however, accusing Trutanich of being either a member or sympathizer of the National Rifle Association, while also, as an attorney, having defended a man charged with shooting sea lions off Catalina Island. Perhaps the worst charge, though, was that a Trutanich television spot depicted L.A. gangbangers as menacing Latinos.

A word of advice to the Weiss campaign: Don't go there. Trutanich's ad was just one in a historical library of law and order ads (i.e., "Riordan: Tough Enough for L.A.") that depict criminals as the enemies of society. Where these ads get sleazy and truly divisive is when they flaunt the race card, as did George H.W. Bush's infamous Willie Horton commercial, or Pete Wilson's anti-immigrant spot showing Mexicans stampeding across dry river beds or past border checkpoints. The Horton ad was sleazy because Bush's campaign staff had a choice of cases and images to choose from, but picked one for which Dukakis bore no responsibility - simply to use the image of a scary black man.

Wilson's attack on illegal immigration did not have such a choice, because no Canadians were climbing over fences to reach the Lower 48. It was divisive, nonetheless: "They keep coming," the voice-over intoned over scenes of Hispanic invasion. What made Wilson's commercial so odious (and effective) was its telephoto shots of the "they" who kept coming like a faceless herd. By focusing on teeming hordes, the ad dehumanized the immigrants and played on the racial fears of Californians.

The Trutanich spot ("A True Crimefighter"), which emphasizes the candidate's credentials as a former prosecutor, uses actors in a rapid-fire, half-minute montage of images. The actors appearing in one urban tableau certainly look like Latino gangbangers attired in sunglasses and Pendleton shirts. But the image is gone in about two seconds, before the eye can really focus on it. Is the spot reductive? Yes, but that's the function of any political ad. More important, it presents a statement about Trutanich's history in visual shorthand without harping on its targets' backgrounds. Weiss' supporters should not want to play a PC game about stereotyping that can only backfire. The fact remains that L.A. has an entrenched gang culture and most of it is Latino. The people who deny this reality might as well picket West Side Story because one of its story's gangs is Puerto Rican.

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"Weiss' backers have found more faults than virtues, however, accusing Trutanich of being either a member or sympathizer of the National Rifle Association..." Yes, because anyone who backs the NRA must have "faults", right? Lame.
Chief Bratton's endorsement goes how far ... "say it aint so" http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-ed-bratton23-2009feb23,0,133521.story
It looks like you are spinning pretty well yourself Susan or should I say Ace........ABW ANYONE BUT JACK WEISS!!!!
Obvious and lame effort at spin from Trutanich camp. But your candidate has very little name recognition and as people are aware of him, very negative reactions to the false claims and conflating decades and what he does etc. Very disturbing. As for your pinning all your hopes on the Times, they endorsed Parks over Ridley-Thomas and Ridley- Thomas won 2:1. Despite Parks also having huge name recognition and lots of experience unlike your candidate. Lots of other examples. Clearly the current Op Ed editor picks longshots over experience (and don't consult the city desk, which has the experience on the street and would have done investigative work to unearth Trutanuch's lies about his record) Look at CD5, unknown Galperin over Koretz, who's heavily endorsed, though in that case, Koretz's name is not as well known locally since he's been in Sacramento for years. That one will be close. Chief Bratton's endorsement and the Democratic Party's mean a lot more than does one paper and you know it or you wouldn't be so bombastic about it. No one I've met among the average public, besides the few homeowner group activists and such who pay attention to these things, has heard of him. Going on about Sarah Brady, trying to put her on trial somehow instead of admitting that what Trutanuch has really been doing is defending polluters, the NRA (the firm advertises there and at gun shows, and has some sort of Gun Rights Lobby, from what I've read) against cities and far worse: like the guy who shot at seals for target practice and fun. OK so even the scum of the earth are entitled to lawyers, but to be a hired mercenary on their behalf, fighting municipal ordinances the City Attorney would have to defend (which Jack Weiss helped write and is committed to) and then to run on what you did almost 30 years because everything you've done since is antithetical to it, speaks for itself. But your cooking up some attack against Sarah Brady to try to discredit that endorsement and distract from/ hide this is typical of how Trutnuch has run his campaign.
Enough of the games. Enough of the proverbial "Prosecutor not a Politician" claims. I'm sure every candidate that is running for city attorney has some level of experience in prosecution. Let's go down the list of candidates: DAVID BERGER: Who and what "gangs" has he prosecuted? Before answering, watch Trutanich's commercial ... that's called "proof". Don't risk any more credibility if you can't provide fact-based evidence of what you claim. One last suggestion, look up the gang LEADER that Trutanich prosecuted ... he's on Death Row. Enough said. JACK WEISS: Let's be honest, it's over for Weiss. Let's be even more honest, I did donate to Jack's campaign so I can check the "political box" and have my name on his contributor list to prevent any issues coming from the Mayor. As you know, on March 3, neither the Mayor nor Jack Weiss will know who I vote for. Since I'm an acquaintance--not a friend--of Jack Weiss and I will see him shortly after he loses, I've prepared my speech: "Look Jack, it's not your fault ... you're over-qualified for that job anyway. Maybe Ace Smith should have included your prosecution of the former Mouseketeer in a direct-mailer or something. Well, at least you know I supported you." -- The end. MICHAEL AMERIAN: I'm not sure if that's the correct way to spell his name, although I can't spell my secretary's name. Based on the fact Michael Amerian and my secretary serve the same purpose, I should be fine. Two words: "training wheels". NOEL WEISS: Noel is a very nice man. I would love to have been at the bar with Noel the night his best friend called and said "Noel ... I got it. You've heard of that guy Jack Weiss right? You know, the guy that everyone hates. Look Noel, if you run for city attorney, and enough blind people vote, they may accidentally vote for Noel Weiss instead of Jack Weiss. I love you man. You can do it!" -- Noel, tell your buddy it doesn't work that way. CARMEN TRUTANICH: To determine if Carmen Trutanich is really "TRUE", I did some research. First, I reviewed the accusations coming from the Jack Weiss campaign about Trutanich's involvement with the NRA. Not only did I discover that Trutanich SUPPORTS gun laws, he will enforce all gun laws, without exception. There is a saying, "Don�t throw stones if you live in a glass house". Which brings us to the best part of my story; while researching the NRA, I ran across an issue that will interest everyone. As most know, Jack Weiss is endorsed by the Brady Campaign. The Brady Campaign works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations, and public policies to prevent gun violence. Sounds good so far right? What if I told you that Sarah Brady, the crusader for stricter gun-control laws, bought her son a powerful rifle for Christmas in 2000, and bypassed Delaware state background-check requirements? Brady reveals in a new memoir that she bought James Brady Jr. a Remington .30-06, complete with scope and safety lock, at a Lewes, Delaware gun shop. "I can't describe how I felt when I picked up that rifle, loaded it into my little car and drove home," she writes. "It seemed so incredibly strange: Sarah Brady, of all people, packing heat." Let's look past her involvement with an organization that works to enforce sensible gun laws to prevent gun violence, and bypassed Delaware state background-check requirements. Why did she buy her son a scope? All joking aside, Jack Weiss is endorsed by the Brady Campaign and Sarah Brady did bypass Delaware state background checks to purchase a powerful rifle for her son in 2000. In return, if Sarah Brady tried the same thing in Los Angeles while Carmen Trutanich is City Attorney, I firmly believe that Trutanich would prosecute her. Conversely, if Sarah Brady tried the same thing in Los Angeles while Jack Weiss was City Attorney, I firmly believe he would ask for more endorsement money. Second, after reading that the Los Angeles Times endorses Carmen Trutanich for City Attorney, there is no debate. Trutanich will be the next City Attorney of Los Angeles. In fact, it's not even worth mentioning the last candidate. Congratulations on the election Mr. Trutanich! http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-ed-cityattorney15-2009feb15,0,6394007.story
I get tired of people attacking Trutanich because he is a defense attorney. Are they saying that only prosecutors should be eligible to be City Attorney? Or worse, are they saying that the accused has no right to an attorney? Or maybe they are saying it is morally wrong for an attorney to properly and competently represent clients. Well, some clients are unsavory, but in this constitutional republic, they have a legal right to counsel. And no defense attorney should EVER be attacked for providing it. Consider the alternative, no defense, facing a self-righteous district attorney who may try to prove guilt regardless of innocence. Considering the abundance of unjust laws on the books, I WANT a former defense attorney as City Attorney. And, having experience as both defense and prosecuting attorney gives Trutanich a deeper understanding and competence than Weiss would have.
Nothing to do with any camp, I first heard it from an Amerian supporter dep city attorney, it's going around as common knowledge among career prosecutors. Ask any of them what they really think, or you could if you knew any who would level with you. Maybe you should be more informed . Amerian's people have focused on the frontrunner but so many career prosecutors resent Trutanuch and see him as the epitome of what they're not, some are likely to start changing focus, Time will tell -- when he loses, will he be back gunning for Cooley's job in 4 years?
More Bull S**t from the Weiss camp. Trutanich taking over for Cooley? What a ridiculous theory!.........Susan and songman are clearly the same paid hack.......
Everyone in the DA's office knows the real score with Trutanich, and why DA Cooley pulled him into the public sector: Cooley will retire in 4 years when his term is up, and wants Trutanich to take over for him. And his good friend, Trutanich would also cover up any meses he leaves behind, like he's hoping to do for Rocky Delgadillo, his current client -- Trutanich is his lawyer and spokesman. Figuring this City Attorney job would be a good "learning opportunity" for him to get his feet wet before moving across the street to felonies. In four years Trutanich will be 60, kind of late to start out gunning for that job, so they want him to familiarize himself with the public sector and the streets now. With Trutanich having made millions defending polluters and being responsible for gun violence on the streets, maybe he wants to make a little restitution -- germs of conscience from his youth three decades ago? This explains why Cooley would pull him into the fray after three decades. So before you attack Weiss for a career in public service, to which he seems genuinely committed, where he's gotten all sorts of scrutiny for years and is vetted already, take a closer look at Trutanich: "outsider" and "independent?" A mercenary who suddenly changed his stripes? Hardly.
oops, sorry about double-posts -- due to unusually long delay.
"Anyone" is right that Bratton's endorsements are "few and far between," which must show his faith in the person he's endorsing. To claim that Bratton's doing this because he was forced to by the mayor, and somehow trying to tarnish him and his endorsee Weiss, is insulting to him and shows how jealous the Trutanich camp is -- they're making this claim everywhere they can precisely because they know it carries a lot of weight. He's often called "the nation's top cop" whose advice is sought around the world, and recent rumors are that Scotland Yard has been wooing him. He's hardly in need of begging for a job. I'd be careful though about insulting the Chief as being weak and a pushover -- he strikes me as a man who doesn't do anything he doesn't want to, and who just made this endorsement because he's fed up with lies about Weiss that came out of the Trutanich camp from day one and from people like Berger, and wanted to set the record straight. For Trutanich and the other long-shot candidates to insult and impugn the integrity of the man who the City Attorney would have to work most closely with doesn't seem too smart.
"Anyone" is right that Bratton's endorsements are "few and far between," which must show his faith in the person he's endorsing. To claim that Bratton's doing this because he was forced to by the mayor, and somehow trying to tarnish him and his endorsee Weiss, is insulting to him and shows how jealous the Trutanich camp is -- they're making this claim everywhere they can precisely because they know it carries a lot of weight. He's often called "the nation's top cop" whose advice is sought around the world, and recent rumors are that Scotland Yard has been wooing him. He's hardly in need of begging for a job. I'd be careful though about insulting the Chief as being weak and a pushover -- he strikes me as a man who doesn't do anything he doesn't want to, and who just made this endorsement because he's fed up with lies about Weiss that came out of the Trutanich camp from day one and from people like Berger, and wanted to set the record straight. For Trutanich and the other long-shot candidates to insult and impugn the integrity of the man who the City Attorney would have to work most closely with doesn't seem too smart.
If that last poster "anyone but weiss" really is an attorney, my mother is a bicycle. All that run-on nonsense and reference to "Viriagosa" make that too clear. Berger's always making the same tired claims and throwing in about the Mouseketeer as a catchy sound-bite but he's obviously self-serving as a more than long-shot candidate who's got nothing else to say except negatives about the front-runner. All that negative, nasty campaigning against the known name by this unknown Trutanich to get his own name out there, is a huge turn-off too. I'm not enamored with city hall or any level of government right now, but the notion of picking "anyone" else even if they're trying to mislead the voters about their record and their opponent's is just wrong. At least with Weiss we know what we're getting, and where he's stood on the issues all along, what he's done about them and will do. It's all very consistent and transparent. Voting for Trutanich is like putting the prisoners in charge of guarding the prison, while the others are way too inexperienced. Berger just sounds like a very angry and bitter man, as well as confused by his own spin,
If that last poster "anyone but weiss" really is an attorney, my mother is a bicycle. All that run-on nonsense and reference to "Viriagosa" make that too clear. Berger's always making the same tired claims and throwing in about the Mouseketeer as a catchy sound-bite but he's obviously self-serving as a more than long-shot candidate who's got nothing else to say except negatives about the front-runner. All that negative, nasty campaigning against the known name by this unknown Trutanich to get his own name out there, is a huge turn-off too. I'm not enamored with city hall or any level of government right now, but the notion of picking "anyone" else even if they're trying to mislead the voters about their record and their opponent's is just wrong. At least with Weiss we know what we're getting, and where he's stood on the issues all along, what he's done about them and will do. It's all very consistent and transparent. Voting for Trutanich is like putting the prisoners in charge of guarding the prison, while the others are way too inexperienced. Berger just sounds like a very angry and bitter man, as well as confused by his own spin,
The first post is clearly not from any attorney and most likely from the folks paid by Weiss to scan the blogs and look for opportunities to attack his opposition. I am an attorney and all who have attended law school know that it is a basic consitiutional precept that everyone, regardless of how henious the crime or unpopular the issue, is entitled to effective representation of counsel. The simple fact is that attornies can't always select their clients, good bad or otherwise. Attributing the attorney's political stance with that of the client is a ridiculous scare tactic. Any graduating attorney clearly understands this basic right, therefore the first post, IF IT REALLY COMES FROM AN ATTORNEY, is disingenuous to say the least.......... Weiss spent the bulk of his time in the AUSA's office working on civil actions and is certainly no prosecutor or crime fighter. His record with the City Council speaks for itself....he is often absent and when he is there he is occupied with things other than city business.... As far as Bratton's endorsement is concerned...when have you seen a Chief of Police endorse anyone? Few and far between....in fact most are forbidden from making political endorsements by contract when they are hired.....so why did Bratton endorse Weiss? Simply because he was directed to by the Mayor, likely out of fear that Weiss is losing the race. Bratton has a vested interest in supporting the Mayor because his time as Chief is rapidly drawing to a close and Bratton wants to land on his feet and get a new plum job........Viriagosa help is essential..............Weiss is a political crony of our dear mayor, who wil increase his own power by having his do nothing "yes man" in the City Attorney's office to do exactly as the Mayor bids..... While I'm no fan of Zine either, I do agree with him this time...."Anyone But Weiss" In my book Trutanich is the best of the field and would bring a new dynamic to the City Attorney's Office......
"Appalled with Jack Weiss" you are right, the long anti-Carmen Trutanich post is almost word for word identical to a post on the LA Times whining about Joke Weiss not getting their endorsement. I'm a self-confessed outsider in LA politics and just like Trutanich is gaining voters from Los Angelenos fed up with Weiss and the rest of the hacks in City Hall, I too find that people I meet at Candidates Forums where Weiss fears to tread, like what I have to say. As for Jack Weiss "The Experienced Prosecutor" check out the Jack Weiss website. He's got a graphic on that page depicting him in one of his only 2 (yes 2) trials in his lackluster career as an assistant US attorney. The case depicted involved "Oppenheimer & Co" according to the graphic. Check out the case; it's a 1998 case where Weiss prosecuted a former Mouseketeer - Darlene Gillespie. The 'experienced prosecutor' sent her to jail for 3 months for check fraud. Wow! Trutanich worked at the DA's Office for 10 years - that's 'brief?" It's way more than Weiss. I've been at the DA's Office for 12 years - is that 'brief" too? My last two cases involved gang members and con-men and resulted in prison sentences totaling 22 years. Is that "brief" too? The writing is on the wall for Weiss. You know it, so does everybody else, and all your postings and all your negative spin won't put Jack back together again. Los Angeles deserves better than the likes of Weiss, and on March 3, the election could really change the face of Los Angeles politics. Whether people vote for me or Trutanich doesn't matter - they're not voting for Weiss and that's what's got his campaign manager seething with rage. As Councilmember Denis ZIne recently said, "vote for anyone but Jack Weiss!"
Does any get the feeling that this first post is from the Jack Weiss for City Attorney campaign. "If he's impatient maybe that's what we need..." In my visits to City Hall Weiss is usually (a) absent, or (b) slumped in his chair looking like he's rather be absent. When he speaks to public commenters, he is usually rude and condescending. Yeah, great. That may be "exactly" what we need according to Jack's online spinners.
The gripe that my colleagues and I have is that this guy Trutanich is a career defense attorney whose brief experience as a prosecutor ended 29 years ago, in 1980 -- yet his ad tries to give the impression that is currently a prosecutor putting away gangbangers and criminals. False. 29 years ago he chose to become a hired gun for the worst kind of criminals, specializing in environmental polluters, thieves, those who run afoul of gun laws and often far worse. That's what his firm is known for. I's no coincidence that when a charter boat captain was arrested for shooting baby sea lions off the coast of Catalina, just for fun and target practice, in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (not to mention any sense of decency), he went to Trutanich who promptly took the case. (And in the Times article is somehow trying to twist that into saying he was really acting as an environmental attorney because he got his client to face the music and take some punishment, and turned him into "a born-again animal activist." When anyone can read between the lines: he lost the case, had to plea bargain Mr. Baby Seal Shooter to a suspended sentence, restitution and community service helping nurse injured marine animals. This makes neither of them saints or "role models to others" as his spokesman also claims.) Sure anyone is entitled to an attorney, including the worst kind of criminal: but lying about his record in order to masquerade as an "environmental attorney" (his self-designated ballot tag) and playing up a brief stint as a criminal PROSECUTOR 29 years ago (his short-lived idealistic phase it appears) before becoming a CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY for those on the wrong side of law is giving voters an intentionally false impression. He's relying on the assumption and hope that voters are ignorant of the difference, and will remain so if he hides the fact and just throws mud at the well-known front-runner, even where there is no basis for it. (Like his trying to make hay of the DNA issue, which Chief Bratton and numerous public record back Weiss up on.) Trutanich knows that if voters know that his career is really antithetical to believing in the principles of defending the environment and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, they'll be horrified -- as many already are as they're becoming aware of this total unknown out of the blue. However we as professional prosecutors have chosen our career out of principle, and the idea of being run by someone whose philosophies are antithetical to our office is appalling. Electing such a person would be a slap in the face to those of us who actually believe in what we do, and need a leader we can look upto as City Attorney. Jack Weiss spent 6 years as a federal prosecutor and the last 8 focused on public safety issues, in some cases proposing the gun laws the city attorney will be required to enforce. He's got the strong backing of Chief Bratton, who knows what's going on in the streets with gangs and crime more than anyone, but who has said he'd be "nervous" about having to work with an unknown. Weiss might be known for being blunt and impatient with wasting time but then that may be exactly what is needed for the job, and he has a proven commitment to our values. The criticisms of his that he's an impatient politician may be exactly what could make him a good City Attorney. Amerian seems to lack the breadth of experience needed. Trutanich would more than make me "nervous" too.