Statement from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer

Below is Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer's full statement on San Diego County Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein's ruling regarding Orange County Superior Court Judge Ebrahim Baytieh. The full story can be found here.

"I made it unequivocally clear when I ran for Orange County District Attorney in 2019 that I would not tolerate the "win at all costs" mentality of the prior administration. My prosecutors will not violate the Constitution and the rights of defendants in order to get convictions and the rights of victims as well as defendants will be protected.

"I am incredibly proud of the work that we as a team have done over the last six years to implement the positive, sustained reforms necessary to prevent the sins of the past administration. This work is a clear reflection on our continuing dedication to the just, honest, and ethical administration of the law. I am grateful for Judge Goldstein's acknowledgement of the work we have done during my administration to addressing these issues and safeguarding against violations of the United States Constitution.

"In People v. Smith, Judge Goldstein specifically found that Brahim Baytieh was not truthful under oath. The violation of a defendant's constitutional rights must be punished and, after a careful examination of the evidence and the veracity of the witnesses, Judge Goldstein, chose the appropriate remedy as a result of the outrageous government misconduct Baytieh committed under the Rackauckas administration.

"I fired Baytieh after he lied to the Department of Justice during their investigation into the prior administration's use of jailhouse informants in violation of defendants' constitutional rights and it was made abundantly clear that he was untrustworthy as a prosecutor. Today's ruling is substantially similar to the findings made by the outside law firm I hired to investigate Baytieh's actions. As a result of the independent investigation, Baytieh was fired for cause and he never challenged his termination, which he was entitled to as a matter of administrative law.

"Judge Goldstein is required to report this misconduct to the State Bar and to Judicial Council.

"We conceded in 2021 the defendant should be given a new trial as a result of the prior prosecutorial team's failure to disclose discovery to the defense and agreed to not use of any evidence obtained through the jailhouse informant program in 2009-2010. We will continue to pursue justice for the murder of Robert Haguen while ensuring the constitutional rights of all continue to be safeguarded."