Inglewood City Attorney Cal P. Saunders Calls It Quits

Minutes after the November 25 City Council meeting, he was asked if there would be a party for his December retirement. "I hope so, and I hope they give me something," he said.

It was alleged by a number of current and former City Hall insiders that then-council member Danny K. Tabor attracted Saunders by successfully promising him a 20-year full pension.

Saunders has been Inglewood’s City Attorney since late 2006. Prior to that, he served as a Deputy
City Attorney III in the City of Compton.

Saunders was well-known for arguing on behalf of Compton police in SANFORD v. MOTTS (No. 00-56926, 2001) for the arrest of a 12-year boy whose mother was beaten by police. 

In Inglewood, his behavior was put under investigation for failing to follow CA state election law as well as his alleged complicity in not investigating a possibly unlawful charter amendment for the City of Inglewood. Read that CityWatch story here. 

Since then, Saunders has been served at least one subpoena by LA County DA Jackie Lacey regarding his employment with the City of Compton. A prior story regarding this was published on CityWatchLA in September. 

Kenneth R. Campos has been tapped to replace Saunders. Campos was formally seated in Saunders' chair at the December 10 city council meeting.

Reached via e-mail, Campos did not respond.

(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a monthly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com. Views expressed and/or conclusions reached by Mr. Fleming are his and do not necessarily reflect those of CityWatch.)

-cw

CityWatch

Vol 11 Issue 100

Pub: Dec 13, 2013