Todd Spitzer

Todd Spitzer (born November 26, 1960) is the District Attorney of Orange County, California. Spitzer successfully ran for Orange County District Attorney in 2018, against incumbent Tony Rackauckas.[1] Spitzer had previously served as a deputy district attorney from 1990 to 1996 and, under Rackauckas, as assistant district attorney from 2008 to 2010. On November 6, 2018, Spitzer defeated Rackauckas in an election to become District Attorney of Orange County.

Todd A. Spitzer
Orange County District Attorney
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2019
Preceded by	Tony Rackauckas
Member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from the 3rd District
In office January 7, 2013 – January 7, 2019
Preceded by	Bill Campbell
Succeeded by	Don Wagner
In office January 6, 1997 – November 19, 2002
Preceded by	Donald Saltarelli
Succeeded by	Bill Campbell
Member of the California State Assembly from the 71st district
In office December 2, 2002 – 2006
Preceded by	Bill Campbell
Succeeded by	Jeff Miller
Personal details
Born	November 26, 1960 Whittier, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Berkeley UC Hastings College of the Law
Profession	Lawyer, Politician, Business Owner

Spitzer was previously an Orange County Supervisor from 1997 to 2002 and again from 2012 to 2018. He was also a member of the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2006, serving three terms representing California's 71st assembly district. As an assemblyman, he co-wrote California's Megan's Law.[2] He also served as spokesman and campaign manager for the successful campaign to pass Marsy's Law in a 2008 initiative.

Early life and education

Todd Spitzer was born on November 26, 1960, in Whittier, California,[3] to Phyllis Ann (née Kirschenbaum) and Leonard Spitzer.[4] He has a sister, Susan, who also went on to be an attorney.[4] Todd played leading roles in the Schurr High School department of performance arts' productions of the musicals Hello, Dolly! (1975)[5] and Li'l Abner (1976).[6]

Spitzer attended the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1982. He then completed a fellowship at the California State Senate.[7] In 1984–85, Spitzer worked as an English teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.[7] He graduated in 1989 with a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.[3] While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, given to law students dedicating their career to public service.[8]

Career

Early career

Spitzer joined the Orange County District Attorney's office in 1990 as deputy district attorney.[7] He has prosecuted felonies including attempted murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Spitzer has tried about 100 jury trials to verdict.[9] He served in the position until 1996.[7]

From 1990 to 2000, Spitzer also served as a volunteer reserve police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department.[10] Spitzer's first elected office was as a trustee to the Brea Olinda School Board in 1992.[11] Serving in the position until 1996,[7] he investigated a grading scandal at Brea Olinda High School involving a former registrar changing students' grades to enhance their chances of getting into college.[12][13]

Orange County Board of Supervisors

Spitzer speaking at the California budget bill signing on June 6, 2004.

Spitzer speaking on the "No on Proposition 66" campaign on June 20, 2004.

In 1996, Spitzer ran against Assemblyman Mickey Conroy in a heated election for the 3rd supervisorial district seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.[14][15] Described by Los Angeles Times as "a decided underdog", Spitzer came in second in the March 1996 primary among seven candidates,[15] leading to a general election between him and Conroy. Spitzer won the general election[16] and was sworn-in in January 1997.[7][17]

While serving on the board, he successfully opposed the conversion of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into an international airport and instead advocated for a "Millennium Plan" for a mixed-use commercial and residential development for the 4,700-acre (1,900-hectare) property.[18][19] Spitzer also advocated for the immediate release of a map of registered sex offenders living in Orange County.[20]

California State Assembly

In 2002, Spitzer ran for a seat in the California State Assembly to represent the 71st assembly district. He was challenged by the Democratic candidate Bea Foster, a teacher from Santa Ana.[21][22] After defeating Foster in the election, Spitzer was sworn into the State Assembly on December 2, 2002.[23]

As an assemblyman, Spitzer served on the judiciary and public safety committees[11] and was a proponent for stronger legislation against sex offenders. In April 2004, he co-wrote Megan's Law for tougher penalties for people convicted of sex offenses and co-wrote legislation to publish the registered sex offenders database on the Internet.[24][2]

Spitzer was re-elected to the State Assembly in November 2004, defeating Bea Foster again with a vote margin of 69.1% to 30.9%.[25] In 2006, Spitzer served as co-chair of the High Risk Sex Offender Task Force, formed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to review the law vcs governing the monitoring of high risk sex offenders living in California.[26] He also advocated for the passage of Proposition 83, a law against sexual predators based on Jessica's Law.[27] He also helped write Marsy's Law,[28] an amendment to the state's constitution to expand the legal rights of victims of crime which was passed in 2008.[29] He served as spokesperson and campaign manager for the initiative to pass the amendment.[30][31] Spitzer later served as legal affairs director of Marsy's Law for All, an organization representing victims of crime.[32]

Return to Orange County District Attorney's office

Spitzer in 2007 speaks out against the early release of state prisoners with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

A June 2004 Los Angeles Times article described a "long-simmering feud between Orange County [District Attorney] Tony Rackauckas and [...] Spitzer."[33] In October 2004, Spitzer accused Rackauckas of "[poisoning] trust in local law enforcement". According to OC Weekly, in 2004, Spitzer was not only running for re-election to the State Assembly, he was privately seeking advice, support, and building a campaign to challenge Rackauckas in 2006.[34] Spitzer eventually decided not to run and instead reached an agreement with Rackauckas to become a prosecutor and run in the 2014 election with Rackauckas's blessing.[35][36]

In 2008, Rackauckas appointed Spitzer as assistant district attorney.[37][38] As a prosecutor in Orange County, Spitzer handled criminal matters and supervised line prosecutors.[39] He was fired two years later in 2010.[37] Rackauckas said that he fired Spitzer for inappropriate behavior in the workplace and intimidating other workers.[39] Spitzer was inquiring for information from the Orange County Public Administrator and Public Guardian, John Williams, at the behest of a domestic violence victim.[36][38] According to the news website Voice of OC, the fact that Rackauckas's fiancée, Peggy Buff, was Williams's deputy further fueled the controversy.[40] By this point, Spitzer had also indicated his intention to run in the 2014 District Attorney election but Rackauckas announced that he planned "to run for another term in 2014 to stop [him]".[39] Spitzer returned to private practice and prepared to run for a Board of Supervisors seat in 2012.[41]

Re-election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors

In June 2012, Spitzer beat Deborah Pauly, a fellow Republican, to again become a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, serving the same 3rd supervisorial district he had represented from 1997 to 2002.[42]

By early 2015, Spitzer had become chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.[43] In April 2015, Spitzer, a former reserve police officer, handcuffed a man who he felt was behaving aggressively towards him, then called 911 at the Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant in Foothill Ranch, California.[44] The man was questioned about the incident, but was released by Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies.[45] At the time, Spitzer had with him a bag containing his handgun and a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon.[46] When news of the incident was reported in the press in September 2015, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said that she did not "think [Spitzer] did anything wrong … He perceived a threat. He acted upon that … It was resolved; nobody got injured, and it was over."[46] In August 2017, as the result of a Superior Court lawsuit, Orange County was required to cover the legal fees that Voice of OC spent in order to get the county to release emails and other documents.[47]

In September 2017, Christine Richters, a former aide to Spitzer, also sued the county accusing Spitzer of wrongful termination.[48] The county reached to an agreement with Richters for a $150,000 settlement for unpaid overtime which was approved by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors including Spitzer.[49]

Orange County District Attorney

Spitzer challenged Rackauckas in the 2018 Orange County District Attorney election. The first round was held in June 2018 with Spitzer earning 35% of the vote to Rackauckas's 38%, leading to a second round.[50] On November 6, 2018, Spitzer earned 53.2% of the vote to win against the incumbent.[51][52] Replacing Rackauckas who had held the position since 1999, Spitzer became the county's first new district attorney in 20 years when he was sworn-in on January 7, 2019.[53]

As District Attorney, Spitzer has criticized the moratorium on the death penalty in California, ordered by Governor Gavin Newsom in March 2019. Spitzer has put public pressure on Newsom to rescind the order, holding press conferences with the families of murder victims whose convicted murderers are serving time on death row.[54][55] In 2020, he was one of the several county district attorneys that prosecuted Joseph James DeAngelo (also known as the Golden State Killer) who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.[56] During the sentencing hearing on August 21, Spitzer told DeAngelo he would have liked to see him executed but agreed to a plea deal after meeting with the victims and their families, and considering "the age of the case." Spitzer added addressing the victims, "We knew how long [the case] took to solve. And we knew that this was the right thing to do – so you could all be here today in your lifetime."[57]

Personal life

In mid 2009, Spitzer, whose mother had died the year before from colon cancer, was himself diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He underwent successful radiation therapy treatment at the UC Irvine Medical Center [58] and has said that he "never missed a day of work."[39]

Spitzer is married to Jamie Morris Spitzer[59] who serves as the presiding judge on the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.[60] They have a son and a daughter.[53][60]

Awards and recognition

As deputy district attorney of Orange County, Spitzer developed an interest in victims' rights. Spitzer was voted Outstanding Prosecutor by the Orange County District Attorney's office in 1994[15][61] and the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored him with its Outstanding Prosecutor Award in 1996.[62]

Spitzer serves as an honorary board member of the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau (renamed Crime Victims Action Alliance) and as a board member of Crime Survivors, Inc., and the Orange County's Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). He also served as a member of the Orange County Bar Association Administration of Justice Committee. He was on the advisory board for the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, along with California assemblyman James Silva, and former State Senator Van Tran.[63] In 2003, he received that organization's Visionary Award, given annually to a person who exemplifies the attributes of the Scout Oath and Law, and who has demonstrated leadership and philanthropy in the Hispanic and Latino communities.[64]

In 2007, Spitzer was inducted into the Schurr High School Hall of Fame.[65]

Electoral history

Orange County, California District Attorney

Orange County, California District Attorney election, 2018[66]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Tony Rackauckas (incumbent)	209,148	38.5%
	Nonpartisan	Todd Spitzer	191,346	35.2%
	Nonpartisan	Brett Murdock	121,818	22.4%
	Nonpartisan	Lenore Albert-Sheridan	20,890	3.8%
Total votes			543,202	100.0%

Orange County, California District Attorney election runoff, 2018[51]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Todd Spitzer	484,830	53.2%
	Nonpartisan	Tony Rackauckas (incumbent)	425,764	46.8%
Total votes			910,594	100.0%

References

1. Elmahrek, Adam (July 10, 2017). "Todd Spitzer will challenge Tony Rackauckas for Orange County district attorney post". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
2. "Megan's Law Coauthor Seeks Probe of E-Mail 'Threat'". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 9, 2004. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
3. Pasco, Jean O. (November 20, 2002). "Spitzer Quits O.C. Board Early". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
4. "Spitzer, Phyllis Ann (72)". Los Angeles Times. March 8, 2008. p. B9. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
5. "'Hello Dolly' Will Open". Southeast Edition. Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1975. pp. 4H. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
6. "Musical Opens". Southeast Edition. Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1976. p. 2H. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
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8. "A Tribute to Mayor George R Moscone". Hastings Community. Hastings Alumni Publications. 74: 1. Summer 1988.
9. Todd Spitzer, County of Orange, Personnel File, 1990-1996; 2008-2010.
10. Gerda, Nick (July 5, 2017). "Spitzer Wahoo Documents Released". Voice of OC. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
11. Rappattoni, Linda (September 11, 2003). "Lawyer-Lawmaker Has Tailored His Life Toward AG's Job". Daily Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
12. Wilgoren, Jodi (July 27, 1994). "Brea Olinda Graduated Some Who Lack Credits: Education: Principal also knew of the grade-changing but did not tell his superiors: 'I think that was a bad decision on my part.'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
13. "Grade Scandal Blamed on Confusion". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1994. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
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15. Hall, Len (October 6, 1996). "Conroy, Spitzer Battling Over High-Stress Job". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
16. Grad, Shelby (December 23, 1996). "Divergent Political Styles, Same Political Destination". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
17. Grad, Shelby (December 6, 1996). "New Supervisor Sworn In; Airport Vote Nears". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
18. Muñoz, Lorenza (May 1, 1998). "Spitzer Tries to Avoid Hard Landing Over Airport Issue". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
19. Robinson, Janine (October 31, 2002). "Turning GOP in O.C." Jewish Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
20. "Web Maps to Point to Sex Offenders' Neighborhoods". Los Angeles Times. October 15, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
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30. Moxley, R. Scott (July 22, 2011). "Todd Spitzer is a Psychological Test Away From Joining Sheriff's Department". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
31. "Class Notes: '89". UC Hastings. Hastings College of the Law Alumni Association. April 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
32. Spitzer, Todd (September 24, 2011). "Todd Spitzer: DA made the right decision in Thomas case". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
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54. Lehman-Ewing, Paula (May 10, 2019). "DAs, Victims' Families Seek To End Death Penalty Moratorium". Daily Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
55. "Newsom should reverse California's death penalty moratorium, prosecutors say". Los Angeles Times. May 10, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
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External links

• Official website of Todd Spitzer