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'Woke' California prosecutor 'ironically in charge of ethics' charged with felonies

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'Woke' California prosecutor 'ironically in charge of ethics' charged with felonies

Left-wing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s right-hand woman is facing nearly 11 felony charges after state prosecutors say she helped herself to confidential information about 11 deputies as far back as 2018 and took it with her when she left the sheriff’s office to work for the DA three years later.

Diana Teran is accused of accessing a sheriff’s office database about its deputies when she worked there and then taking that information with her to the district attorney’s office to work for Gascon, who was elected on an anti-police platform. Under Gascon, she “impermissibly” used the improperly obtained data to assist, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.

During a controversial tenure in the DA’s office, she allegedly used some of that information to help criminal defendants and stifled line prosecutors under her.

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that the case had been referred to the state attorney general’s office due to a conflict of interest, indicating Teran remained the leader of the office’s ethics and integrity unit for months despite an investigation into her own conduct. In that role, she was in charge of divisions that prosecuted misconduct allegations against police and other public officials.

TOP ADVISER TO LEFT-WING CALIFORNIA DA CHARGED WITH NEARLY A DOZEN FELONIES

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Diana Teran, the former head of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s ethics and integrity unit, is pictured in an April booking photo after her arrest on 11 felony charges for allegedly taking and/or misusing data on sheriff’s deputies without authorization. (Los Angeles County)

“She illegitimately accessed the officers’ files while with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” Tatiana Chahoian, a deputy district attorney who told Fox News Digital in March that Gascon sent an armed plainclothes investigator to intimidate her at her home after an unrelated whistleblowing incident. “Then she came to the district attorney’s office and used all that information against the officers.”

In one case that Chahoian prosecuted, she said a woman who took a felony plea deal after breaking another woman’s clavicle in a road rage fight was involved in a separate use-of-force incident with the deputy while holding her baby.

Teran allegedly withheld the entire case file as well as video evidence from the DA’s office, including Chahoian, who was handling the proceedings. In bodycam video that Sheriff Robert Luna later released, a DUI suspect can be seen arguing with deputies who pulled her boyfriend over in a DUI stop and found the infant without a car seat or seat belt.

Deputy Los Angeles District Attorney Tatiana Chahoian found herself in hot water after an interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles in which she blew the whistle on a memo about how to prosecute street racing and street “takeover” cases in the county. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)

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“The mother who was punched was a violent person and involved in multiple incidents,” Chahoian said. “But Teran wanted to screw over the deputy, so she made sure no one in the DA’s office had access to the actual video, including me, the assigned prosecutor.”

James Spertus, Teran’s attorney, previously told Fox News Digital he expected to clear his client and that the attorney general’s allegations would turn out to be a “very embarrassing” failure.

“I want the world to know that the AG’s office will face a very quick and expeditious loss on this sort of thoughtless legal theory that an official can be prosecuted for doing an official act,” he said. “It’s just really something that you wouldn’t expect in law enforcement today.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a news conference at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 23, 2022. Bonta’s office has filed 11 felony charges against a top Los Angeles deputy district attorney who was the head of the county’s ethics and integrity unit. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

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The allegations against Teran are believed to involve her alleged misappropriation of “Brady” material – information about police misconduct that must be turned over to defense attorneys.

“The controversy deepens now with allegations that Teran illegally introduced sensitive information into DA databases — information that she and Gascon knew would inevitably be shared with defense attorneys,” John McKinney, a veteran L.A. deputy district attorney who unsuccessfully ran to unseat Gascon in the recent primary election, wrote on X. “This alleged breach, committed by someone entrusted to uphold the highest legal standards, represents serious criminal acts and shows a void in judgment and leadership by Gascon.”

The Supreme Court ruled in 1963’s Brady v. Maryland case that prosecutors have to disclose “material evidence” that could help a defendant’s case, according to experts at Cornell Law School.

But that doesn’t mean they have to hand over all unflattering information about a given officer connected to a criminal case, and some of the information taken from the sheriff’s office is believed to have included unfounded or unsustained allegations.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon (Myung Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images/File)

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The criminal complaint accuses Teran of taking, copying or making use of data on 11 Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies without authorization.

“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, in a press release. “Public officials are called to serve the people and the State of California with integrity and honesty. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the people of California and hold those who break the law accountable.”

The Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the county prosecutors’ union that has been openly critical of Gascon over his policies, slammed Gascon in a statement posted to its website.

“Her case is in its nascent stages,” the group’s vice president, Ryan Erlich, wrote. “But it is not too early to ask Gascón and his inner circle some key questions, beginning with ‘what did the District Attorney know and when did he know it?’”

The charges against top Los Angeles DA official Diana Teran allege she stole information on 11 deputies and “impermissibly” accessed it years later. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

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The union also noted that another top Gascon aide, Joseph Iniguez, allegedly threatened an officer who arrested him on a public intoxication charge in 2021 and that Gascon’s three years of leadership have cost the county millions in civil cases. The union named both Iniguez and Teran in a lawsuit in 2022, alleging they both directed subordinates to break the law.

Rank-and-file prosecutors appeared to welcome the charges on social media.

“Have fun with your friends in prison, D!” Chahoian wrote.

Jonathan Hatami, another deputy district attorney who attempted to primary out Gascon, wrote that the charges against Teran show the DA’s leadership “is not right or fair.”

“And, it is also illegal,” he added.

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“This is just the latest example of Gascon’s demonstrated record of poor judgment and lack of leadership in running the district attorney’s office,” Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor who is running as an independent to unseat Gascon in November, told Fox News Digital. “He promoted Teran to his No. 3 in command, ironically in charge of ethics and integrity, despite legitimate objections from many experienced prosecutors.”

Gascon, in a statement, defended his Brady policy and said he would cooperate with state investigators.

  

“When I took office, we developed a protocol that ensured we complied with our constitutional obligations under Brady, which requires us to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense, a category that includes law enforcement’s prior misconduct, while simultaneously complying with state and federal law around privacy,” he said. “I stand by that protocol.”

Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

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San Francisco, CA

SF scientists build robotic storm samplers to track pollutants before they reach the Bay

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SF scientists build robotic storm samplers to track pollutants before they reach the Bay


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Environmental Scientist Kayli Paterson from the San Francisco Estuary Institute is hitting the road with colleague David Peterson and a trunk full of water sampling robots.

“Yeah, I think the max we’ve ever done was five. But the sites are very close together. Oh, there it is. Hopefully it samples well,” says Paterson as she turns the mobile sampling lab onto a private oak-lined road.

They’re closing in on a watershed creek flowing through the hillsides near the San Andreas Lake reservoir, west of Highway 280 in Millbrae, part of the larger watershed that eventually drains into San Francisco Bay.

“So, we’ve got our sampler. Look at the battery. Hook that up, red and black. This is a 12-volt lithium battery, and it powers our sampler for probably about six to seven days,” she explains, showing off a self-contained unit miniaturized into a portable case.

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The black cases are their latest innovation in stormwater science. Robotic samplers anchor in key sections of the watershed to monitor not only flow, but also the chemicals and pollutants washing downstream toward the Bay.

“And this is a front-line pollution sampler. It’s getting the stormwater before it enters the Bay. And so, we want to know what’s coming into the Bay and getting these samplers out there in more locations will give us a better idea of where we might have issues, where a hotspot is, or maybe a previously unknown contaminant,” says Paterson.

“It’s important to get out that fast,” her colleague David Peterson adds. “You know, in these storms as they’re happening, because the water is picking up pollutants in real time, and we need to be there to capture them.”

When we first met Peterson several years ago, he and another Estuary Institute team were sampling water along the Bay shoreline by hand, a technique that’s still valuable. But to cover more ground, Kayli and a group of collaborators began developing the robotic samplers over recent storm seasons.

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Kayli and David start by chaining the unit itself to a tree near the creek bank. The system employs remote-controlled pumps that draw samples from the creek and store them in onboard containers. The software controlling the volume and frequency can be operated from a phone app.

MORE: New study of San Francisco Bay fish confirms concentrations of PFAS aka ‘forever chemicals’

One of the key targets in this study is a group of so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, synthetic compounds that persist in the environment and have been detected in widespread areas of the Bay.

“And we capture samples and send them off to analytics labs across the country. Typically, universities or private labs will process these for us,” Peterson explains.

For these two stormwater detectives, it’s a mission that requires a combination of speed and patience**, chasing flowing water** through creeks and storm drains, sampling as they go.

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“So, we’re looking for areas – the point of this is to do source control. Ultimately, we want to be able to trace this back to a possible source,” says Kayli Paterson.

And potentially prevent a source of toxic pollution from reaching San Francisco Bay and our Bay Area ecosystem.

More than a dozen of the robots were given names in a special contest, including the Big Sipper and the Tubeinator.

Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Denver, CO

Report: Broncos expected to ‘make a splash’ at running back

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Report: Broncos expected to ‘make a splash’ at running back


The Denver Broncos are in the market for a running back.

Just two days after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Denver wants to have the running back position addressed before the draft, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Broncos are “poised to make a splash” at running back during NFL free agency.

“Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn’t get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match,” Jones wrote for CBS Sports.

Jones said the Broncos would be an obvious potential landing spot for Kenneth Walker, and he noted that Travis Etienne could be a cheaper alternative. The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider also reported this week that Denver is expected to “closely examine” the RB market, and he name-dropped Walker, Etienne and Rico Dowdle.

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The Broncos also have an in-house free agent at RB in J.K. Dobbins, who has expressed his desire to remain in Denver. The Broncos can begin negotiating with pending free agents from other clubs on March 9, but no deals can become official until the new league year begins on March 11. In-house free agents can be re-signed at any time.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.



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Seattle, WA

Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks

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Huard: Rams’ trade a ‘direct’ response to Seattle Seahawks


One of the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest rivals delivered the first big shockwaves of the 2026 offseason.

Why Salk ‘blanched’ at a Seahawks Maxx Crosby trade proposal

Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a deal that would send four draft picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for All-Pro cornerback and former UW Huskies standout Trent McDuffie, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning.

McDuffie, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Rams, according to Schefter.

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Shortly after the news broke, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard gave his reaction on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“This feels like a direct move to match up with JSN and the Seahawks,” Huard said.

Widely considered to be the two best teams in the NFL this past season, the Seahawks and Rams squared off in three epic battles, capped by Seattle’s 31-27 win over Los Angeles in the NFC Championship.

Over those three games, the Rams’ shaky secondary struggled to contain NFL receiving leader and AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks star wideout totaled 27 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns across those three matchups, including 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD in the NFC title game.

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Smith-Njigba also had a career-high 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Rams in 2024.

“It’s kind of like an old NBA world,” Huard said. “Like, alright, we know we’re gonna have to deal with Jordan or we’re gonna have to deal with Pippen or we’re gonna have to deal with Bird. Like, how do we match up? And (the Rams) know that that was the one area – in their back seven – that could not match up.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player in the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage

• What Brock Huard makes of Seahawks’ Ken Walker situation
• A possible replacement if Seahawks don’t re-sign Walker
• Huard: Jobe is most likely free agent the Seattle Seahawks re-sign
• Report: Seattle Seahawks not tendering restricted FA Jake Bobo
• The Seattle Seahawks’ risks with Walker set to be free agent

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