County of Los Ange(es

ShE!riff'5 Department Headquarters

4700 Ramona Boulevard

Monterey Park, Cal~fornia 91754-2169

Bel'0Y 'D 7inea) C5/H!/-.Jj!

Digitally signed

December 29,2009 by Joseph H

Zernik
DN: cn=Joseph H
Zernik, o, ou,
email=jz12345@e
arthlink.net, c=US
Location: La
Verne, California
Date: 2010.01.04
15:37:11 -08'00'

Mr. Joseph Zernik

PO Box 526
La VHrne, California 91750

Dear Mr. Zernik:

This letter is in response to your fax request for access to arrest and booking papers of
inmates: Richard Fine, Booking No. 1824367 and F~onqld Gottschalk, Booking No.
2088144.

Your request addressed to Sheriff Baca states:

In responsH to requests for assistance by Superyisor Antonovich regarding denial

of access to public records by your office, where public access was provided by
California Public Records Act, Supervisor Antonovich's office informed me that
your office stated that you faxed me a response bn November 4,2009. I have no
record of such fax, and would be grateful if you cbuld send it again, hoping that it
indeed included the requested public records - arrest and booking records of:

1. Booking No. 1824367 Richard Fine

2. Booking No. 2088144 Ronald Gottschalk

Obviously, concern was that the Sheriff's Departr+nent was holding for 9 months
Attorney Ricllard Fine in violation of the law, and the denial of access to arrest
and booking papers was meant to cover up that f1act. Likewise, his holding in a
hospital room, with no medical justification was lirely to be a way of keeping him
off the three times a day routine counts of inmate,s - since Richard Fine was an
"off the record", "off the count" inmate.

The holding of Attorney Gottschalk, since release,d on bail, likewise, was in a

medical facility, and again - concern was that it was in violation of the law.

A well-recognized civil rights organization, which pdvised me in this matter,

stated that they routinely made such requests in 9ther counties of California, and
that other counties routinely complied with the law. There was no reason why
the L.os Angeles County Sheriff's Department w001d not likewise comply with the
law.
~7f 7radth'oll 0/0eruice c5i.i.7Ce 1650
Joseph Zernik --2- December 29,2009

Enclosed is a copy of the letter composed by Commander Thomas M. Laing, Executive

Assistant, Office of the Sheriff which was faxed to you on November 4, 2009, indicating
the circumstances involving Mr. Richard Fine's armst.

Bookinq information not exempt from the Public Records Act relating to Richard Fine,
Booking No. 1824367 and Ronald Gottschalk, Booking No. 2088144 is enclosed.

Your concern as to where Mr. Fine and Mr. Gottschalk are/were held while in
Department custody is in the form of an interrogatory. The Public Records Act does not
require that a public entity create a record in order to r~spond to a request for
information. The Act only requires that certain records already in existence be made
available; it does not require the public entity to answer interrogatories.

If you have any questions, please contact Cynthia Sheckells of the Discovery Unit at

323-.890-5023.

Sincerely,

LEI~()Y D. BACA, SHERIFF

'" -rvct ~'--

,
dy A. Gerhardt, Lieutenant
Risk Management Bureau

Enclosed
 ,
/~
./

QInuntl! of 1QO!?i An~v~k~

~h~riff' s 3Eh~p&rlm~nt 3Jt.e&.hquctrh~rg

4700 3R&mllnn 3!ihxukua:rb

J9ltllnh~u1! 'ark, QIulif1l1m:ht 91754-·21£9

LEROY C>. ElACA, 5HET~IFF

November 4, 2009

Mr. Joseph Zernik

Via Fax: (801) 998-0917

Dear Mr. Zernik:

The purpose of this: correspondence is to respond to the letter you faxed to our office on October
29,2009 requesting specific information regarding Mr. Richard! Fine.

Mr. Richard Fine was arrested by the Los Angeles County S.qeriff's Department (LASD) on
March 4,2009, at 11 :05 a.m., in San Pedro Court Mlmicipal bivision 86. He was booked by
LASD personnel on the same date, San Pedro Court, at 12:23 p.m.

Mr. Fine's confinement to the Sheriff's Custody is the result of a court remand order dated
March 4,2009, case number 135109420.

I believe this correspondence addresses your request for specific information, and if! can be of
further assistance, please contact me at (323) 526-5000,

Sin,~erely,

LEROY D. BACA, SHERIF~ n

A~ ~~CZA~L
Commander Thomas M. Laing, Executive Ass'istant

Office of the Sheriff

Jl Jradzlion 0/ c5ervice
1/ /5 o'7r­
B60KIN(j NUMBER: 1,824367

(The information was current as of: 12/29/2009 12:23)

Booking No.: t824367 Last Name: FINE First Name: RICHARD Middle Name: I

Sex:M Race: W Date Of Birth: 01122/1940 Age: 69 Hair: GRY Eyes: BRO Height: 509

vVeight: 175 File No.:

Charge Level: 0

ARREST

AITI~st Charge: 1209CCP Charge Description: CIVIL CONTEMPT

Arrest Date: 03/04/2:009 Arrest Time: 1105 Arrest Agency: 4005 Agency Description: LASD­
WARRANT DETAIL llJNIT, CSD

Date Booked: 03/0412009 Time Booked: 1223 Booking Location: M86 Location Description: CRT­
SAN PEDRO MUNI DIV 86

BAIL
Bail Amount: NO BAIL Total Hold Bail Amount: 0.00 Grand Total: NO BAIL

HOUSING LOCATION
Hi "E> Location: CJ Module: 7000 Row:R CeJl:7057 Bunk:

Pennanent Housing Assigned Date: 06/1.8/2009 Assigned Time: 1715 Visitor Status: N

Facility: MEN'S CENTRAL JAJ;L

Address: 441 BAUCHET STREET City: DOS ANGELES

!For County facility visiting hours, Please call (213) 473-6080 at Inmate Information Center.
".. ''''''''' __ _,
~
~
,
_
'
~
'
M
'
_
~
_
'
'
'
'
~
'
~
Y
~
_
·
'
·
'
~
~
_
.
~
_
'
.
A
,
~
~
"
"
A
_
_
_
COURT

/Next Court Code: Next Court Date: Next COUl1 Time: 0000 Next Court Case:

Court Name:
Court Address: Court City:
... . ..
BOOKING NUMBER: 1824367

RELEASE
---.··-· -·-..- -·---·--------·---·..-·· · . -··..--, · . ·._ _.- , _ -.,
Release Date: Release Reason: Reason Description: I

!r Release Agency: Agency Description:

"'''''', ,.,."""_•., __"" "" "".".""."..,,..,, , "" " " " , .",,"'., "''''''' "" ".." ,,,,,., ,,1

. I '.

NO
65109420 1209CCP o BAIL
.00 o
 • I
BOOKING NUMBER: 2088144

';l;~ t,'!' ',...,~*,

t'i1

(The information was current as of: 12/29/2009 12:23)

Booking No.: 2088144 Last Name: GOTTSCHALK First Name: RONALD Middle Name: NORTON

Sex: M Race: W Date Of Birth: 07/15/1943 Age: 66 Hair: BRO Eyes: BRO Height: 510

Weight: 185 File No.:

Charge Level:

- _· -------- . _-,,-_.. _-_. ARREST

Charge Description: GRAND THEFT MONEYIPROPERTY > $400

.
1

Arrest Charge: 487(A)PC

Arrest Date: 10/08/2009 Arrest Time: 1235 Arrest Agency: 1989 Agency Description: LACO­
DISTRICT ATTORNEY

IDate Booked: 10/08/2009 Time Booked: 2024

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _R •
Booking Location,: IRC
. .•
Location Description: IRC
· _ · _ ._ _ • • ._h ., _

BAIL
r
ITotal Bail Amount: 0 Total Hold Bail Amount: 0.00 Grand Total: 0.00
---

HOUSING LOCATION

Housing Location: Module: Row: Cell: Bunk:

Permanent Housing Assigned Date: 10/14/2009 Assigned Time: 1516 Visitor Status: 0

Facility:

Address: City:

1
._~~_r:..~~.~~?!Ic.!.~iJ_visit~ng hou,s.:... PI:~~~~~'!..!...2!..!L 473-~~~~!!!..!nmate Injo'm.:.ation Center~._J

COURT

Next Court Code: :\130 Next Court Date: 12/07/2009 Next Court Time: 0800 Next Court Case:

BA36199601

Court Name: LOS ANGELES MUNI CT DIV 30

Court Address: 210 W. TEMPLE STREET Court City: LOS ANGELESUPT
RELEASE
BaOKING NUMBER: 2088144

Actual Release Date: 11/06/2009 Release Time: 0902 Release Reaspn: BOND Reason Description:
BOND

Release Agency: Agency Description:

Court'
AddresH n2g1l1.t~j:~jll1[l~lt~ilhi ;'(?~Oulrt
If I
s • ·.I()!.. -·r-Jil.Iflm·ll'Vr·J.Datt
BA361996R REMOVA 11/05/20
0 .00 0
M L 09

LOS 21CLW.
ANGELE TEMPL LOS
BA3619960 487(A)P 12/07/20 11/05/20 BON
F S MUNI E ANGELESU 0 .00 0
1 C 09 09 D
CT DIV STREE PT
30 T
-'-

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
CENTRALIZED CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS UNIT
4900 SOUTH EASTERN AVENUE, SUITE 220
COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA 90040
o

MR. JOSEPH ZERNIK

PO BOX 526
LA VERNE, CALIFORNIA 91750

NEED A CAREER?

BE A STAR
L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.

, (800) A-DEPUTY
:;:i i "75Cl~±:i:}E:l2E: Eii:ii:iE: 11.11".,111 ••• 1,',',1'••• 11'1" i, I., J; I i,ll",. j, I,ll " j ",11