A recently unsealed court record has provided insight into the controversial case against Diana Teran, a top advisor to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. The charges, which were announced two months ago, allege that Teran improperly accessed confidential police records while working at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2018 and later used the data from those records when she joined the district attorney’s office three years later.
The 15-page affidavit used to justify the arrest warrant, which was unsealed on Tuesday, reveals that the core allegations against Teran revolve around her efforts to include more deputies’ names in the district attorney’s databases used to track problem officers. However, it has come to light that records of disciplinary actions against at least two of the 11 deputies were already public and easily accessible through a Google search. Teran’s lawyer believes that the records of the other nine deputies may also be public.
Legal experts who have reviewed the affidavit have raised questions about the case, with some calling it “absurd” and “bunk.” They argue that Teran was simply doing her job by tracking important information and that there is no evidence to suggest that the information she flagged for inclusion in the database was incorrect or unauthorized. Additionally, they question the decision to prosecute Teran, as it may have a chilling effect on other prosecutors focused on police accountability.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office declined to comment on the case, citing the need to protect the integrity of the pending case. However, it has been reported that the state is considering dropping two of the charges against Teran.
The controversy surrounding the case has led some to view it as a political betrayal, as Bonta had previously endorsed Gascón. However, it remains unclear what impact, if any, this will have on the upcoming general election in which Gascón is facing a serious challenger.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have not provided immediate comments on the matter.
The case against Teran originated from a traffic stop involving another D.A. official three years ago, which led investigators to Teran. The details of this incident align with the arrest of Gascón’s chief of staff, Joseph Iniguez, in December 2021. Iniguez was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication after allegedly interfering with the traffic stop. The case against Iniguez was turned over to the California Department of Justice, but no charges were pursued.
