Public Defender's employee investigated for alleged misuse of CJIS system
By the bakersfield californian
A Kern County Public Defender's investigator is now himself the subject of an investigation for reported misuse of the computerized Criminal Justice Information Services system, according to documents filed in Kern County Superior Court.
Dave Brown used the system, called CJIS, to look up information on defendants that he was never asked to check on, according to search warrants filed in court by the Kern County Sheriff's Department. The investigation revealed that, after looking up the defendants' information, Brown would then invoice bail bonds companies for services including "fugitive recovery" and "investigative hours," the search warrants say.
Some of the six people Brown checked on CJIS were clients of the Public Defender's office, others weren't, the search warrants say. Detectives interviewed attorneys who had represented the clients, and they said they had never asked Brown to look up information on those cases.
The case was brought to the attention of law enforcement by Public Defender Arthur Titus, the search warrants say. Titus became suspicious when an audit of Brown's computer found what Titus believed were invoices involving outside employment.
When sheriff's investigators went to Brown's house to question him, he told them he was not going to comment and he'd retained an attorney, according to the search warrants.
Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said the investigation has been completed and sent to the District Attorney's office. He had no further comment.
Titus said the issue was a personnel matter and he could give no comment other than that.
Both Liberty Bail Bonds and Aladdin Bail Bonds were named in the search warrants as businesses Brown invoiced.
"I'm not sure what that's all about, but I'd just as soon not comment," said Liberty Bail Bonds owner Terry Fowler when asked about the case.
Calls to Aladdin Bail Bonds were referred to its legal department, where no one could immediately be reached.
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