Following Sex Scandal, Fired OC Prosecutor Reinstated
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| Tony Rackauckas is forced to accept fired underling |
Former Orange County prosecutor Suzy M. Snyder must be smiling today.
Sure, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas fired Snyder in 2008 after learning that she had had a secret "sexual relationship" with an Irvine police detective who testified in a case she prosecuted in the Newport Beach courthouse.
But thanks to county employee union protections, Snyder successfully appealed Rackauckas' decision to an independent arbiter and this week didn't just get her job back, but also learned that she will receive back pay, according to multiple sources.
Attempts to reach Snyder were unsuccessful, but her courthouse allies say she has maintained throughout her ordeal that the DA had overreacted.
Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff to Rackauckas, said "county confidentiality rules" prevent her from commenting.
Prosecutors are required to disclose to the defense personal ties they have with testifying witnesses. In the case of woman-beater Reza Gurel, reports of Snyder's relationship with the lead detective didn't surface until after the defendant was convicted and sent to prison. When advised, Rackauckas viewed Snyder's actions as an unacceptable ethical breach.
You can read my original article on the incident HERE.
--R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly
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