JUDGING THE ‘80s

robert gardner

The 1980s were pretty exciting -- so exciting that I heard about Orange

County’s scandals in San Bernardino, where I was sitting on the appellate

court.

The first salvo was the prosecution and conviction of Supervisor Ralph

Diedrich -- “Big D” in courthouse lingo.

For years, Willis Warner from Huntington Beach had been the virtual

county manager. Scrupulously honest, he knew more about the county’s

business than the rest of the supervisors combined. When he retired --

getting a street named after himself -- he left a void, which Big D

promptly filled.

It’s not easy to take on a supervisor, so when rumors began to seep out

about some of Big D’s activities, a lot of people were surprised when

Dist. Atty. Cecil Hicks assigned a rather obscure deputy named Mike

Capizzi to the case.

However, Hicks knew what he was doing. Capizzi was one of those bulldog

prosecutors, not flashy but thorough to the last decimal point. Despite

the obstacles thrown at him, he just kept burrowing until he had the

evidence he needed, and Big D went to the joint for bribery.

An even bigger shock was when David Baker pleaded guilty to forging a

check for $48,000 after losing the congressional race to Christopher Cox.

Baker was the All-American boy -- athlete, upright citizen-- and the

disclosure was stunning. As for the victor, Cox has made a name for

himself in the House of Representatives, but I’m afraid he’ll never be

our ambassador to China.

The desire for a lavish lifestyle led to a slew of embezzlements.

Probably the most distasteful was that of a “socialite” who spent a large

chunk of school funds on necessities like fur-lined vests.

The ‘80s may not have been the most uplifting decade, but it was

exciting.

* JUDGE GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and former judge.