Stephen Lawrence ("Steve") Cooley (born May 1, 1947 in Los Angeles, California) is a veteran prosecutor who was elected as Los Angeles County's 36th District Attorney on November 7, 2000. He was sworn in for his second term on December 6, 2004. He is also a former reserve Los Angeles Police officer.
Contents |
Background
The second of five children, Steve Cooley was born at St. Vincent's Hospital (now St. Vincent's Medical Center) in Los Angeles, California. His father was an FBI agent and his mother a homemaker. Cooley attended schools in the Silver Lake area. At California State University, Los Angeles, Cooley served two terms as Student Body President and was selected for membership in Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society. In 1970, He was commencement speaker for his graduating class. Cooley later entered USC Gould School of Law. He graduated in 1973, receiving the Am Jur Award for Criminal Law. That same year he joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Life as District Attorney
In a campaign featuring a record-breaking 15 debates, Cooley captured nearly two-thirds of the vote. He was the first trial-tested attorney to be elected District Attorney in almost 30 years. Among the achievements of Steve Cooley’s first four years in office were his crackdown on corrupt politicians, his enforcement of the open meeting law: the Brown Act, and his protocols for allegations of law enforcement criminality. Cooley has reshaped the District Attorney's Office with the most sweeping reorganization that has occurred in the last 40 years. The Justice System Integrity Division, which Cooley created, has also filed an unprecedented 24 cases against corrupt attorneys and achieved a 100 percent conviction rate. Cooley also changed the office's policy on California's Three Strikes Law, hoping to assure proportionality in sentencing and even-handed application countywide. Cooley's creation of a Forensic Science Section recognizes the scientific advances that have occurred in the investigation and prosecution of crimes. As part of this effort, the use of DNA and other new techniques in solving so-called "cold cases" (unsolved homicides and sexual assaults) have been given priority. A new Victim Impact Program assures special protection and assistance for the most vulnerable crime victims: the elderly, victims of child abuse and sexual abuse, targets of hate crimes, victims of stalking and domestic violence. The creation of the Los Angeles County Prosecutors Association, inspired by the District Attorney, has brought a new level of cooperation among city prosecutors within the county.
Controversies
Battered Women
According to The Los Angeles Times, advocates for battered women have criticized Cooley’s handling of Deborah Peagler’s case and others like it. In eight out of eight cases, he has opposed the use of a California law that allows battered women in prison to be given a new hearing if evidence of domestic violence was omitted during the original proceedings. Cooley had initially supported Peagler's release from prison, but then withdrew his offer to reduce the battered woman's prison sentence. [1]
Belmont Learning Center
Cooley was challenged by two high ranking members of his Belmont Investigation Task Force — former Special Assistant D.A. Anthony Patchett who headed the Task Force and Roger Carrick who served as Special Legal Counsel to the LAUSD Inspector General — for failing to pursue prosecution for fraud in the Belmont Learning Center project.
Personal
He and his wife Jana have lived in Toluca Lake, California for over 30 years. They have a son, Michael, and a daughter, Shannon.
