Former City Councilman and Police Chief Bernard Parks has been hit with an ethics complaint alleging improper use of the City of Los Angeles seal and his Los Angeles Police Department badge. The complaint states that Parks used these symbols on a letter he wrote to the judge in the Mark Ridley-Thomas public corruption case.
The City Clerk’s office received the complaint and issued a letter to Parks, ordering him to cease and desist from using the seal improperly. Parks’ letter to the federal judge urges maximum penalty for Ridley-Thomas.
Parks lost to Ridley-Thomas in the 2008 race for county supervisor.
The complaint against Parks has been referred to the City Attorney’s Office for investigation. According to the Los Angeles Municipal Code, it is illegal to use the city seal for any purpose other than city-related matters.
Parks’ letter to U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer prominently features images of the city seal and his LAPD chief’s badge.
In response to the ethics complaint, Parks stated that the content of his letter to the judge outweighs the complaint itself. He emphasized Ridley-Thomas’s felony indictment, conviction, and upcoming sentencing.
The identity of the complainant is not disclosed in the clerk’s letter, but community activist Bev Rowe is the signatory on the complaint document. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, handling Ridley-Thomas’s case, has received Parks’ letter.
Ridley-Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday for multiple convictions, including conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. Parks, in his letter to Fischer, argues that the recommended six-year prison sentence is too lenient.
Parks highlights how Ridley-Thomas’s colleagues were also victimized by his crimes, as he misled them while soliciting their support. This behavior tarnished their honesty and integrity in the eyes of their constituents.
Encouraging the maximum penalty for Ridley-Thomas, Parks criticizes his lack of remorse and attempts to use his race to undermine the public’s faith in the justice system.
The City Clerk’s communication to Parks emphasizes that the use of the city seal in his letter does not align with the intended city purposes outlined in the Los Angeles Municipal Code. The City reserves its rights regarding trademarks and trade dress.
Ridley-Thomas was accused of favoring USC in county contracts while accepting benefits for his son from the university.
Prosecutors seek a six-year prison sentence, while the defense requests home confinement, community service, and a monetary penalty. In the event of incarceration, Ridley-Thomas’s lawyers propose a range of 21 to 27 months.
Ridley-Thomas previously served on the Los Angeles City Council, in the Assembly and state Senate, and on the county Board of Supervisors. He is currently appealing his conviction.
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