Top Gascón aide fears physical harm if civil service hearing is open to

A controversial top aide to District Attorney George Gascón wants a Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission hearing closed to the public and her testimony sealed because she fears for her safety, according to a declaration obtained by the Southern California News Group. Tiffiny Blacknell, who is Gascón’s chief spokesperson, says in the 17-page declaration filed last week that she faces more harassment and threats if the hearing into nepotism and favoritism complaints lodged by the Association of Deputy District Attorneys remains public.“This harassment is tangible, imminent and could hinder me from testifying to the best of my abilities if these proceedings are not closed, ” she said in the declaration. Samuel Reyes, a hearing officer for the Civil Services Commission, denied Blacknell’s request during proceedings Wednesday, Aug. 10, saying he is not authorized to close the hearings. Attorney Shawn Thomas who is representing the District Attorney’s Office, filed a motion last week seeking to have Civil Service Commission proceedings closed involving Blacknell and respondents Shelan Joseph, Alisa Blair, John Perroni, Nancy Theberge and Gregory Apt, who were deputy public defenders before they were hired by Gascón. The hearings should be closed and testimony sealed to prevent disturbance by spectators and witness intimidation, the motion says. The District Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment regarding the motion. Blacknell could not immediately be reached. During Wednesday’s hearing, Thomas accused Elizabeth J. Gibbons, an attorney representing the ADDA, of leaking a “secret declaration” to the media. However, he did not say whether that declaration was from Blacknell or another respondent.“Again, we would renew our request to close these proceedings, because it does not seem that Ms. Gibbons, frankly, can be trusted to comply with your orders on this matter, ” Thomas told Reyes. Gibbons denied leaking a sealed declaration and said she did not discuss the matter with any journalists.“The information exists beyond the four corners of this hearing, ” she said. “It has existed beyond the four corners of this hearing for six months before this hearing ever started. I had nothing to do with the release of that information. ”The ADDA, which is the bargaining organization for nonsupervisory deputy district attorneys, has filed at least 11 appeals with the Civil Service Commission on behalf of prosecutors who were on promotion eligibility lists and passed over by Gascón in favor of hiring Blacknell and Joseph, along with Blair, who recently left the District Attorney’s Office.


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Article Link: https://www.dailynews.com/2022/08/10/top-gascon-aide-fears-physical-harm-if-civil-service-hearing-is-open-to-public/


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