A new sheriff in town for L.A. Sheriff’s Department

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One of the lead prosecutors in the Bell corruption case will head a new agency responsible for overseeing the Sheriff’s Department. Deputy D.A. Max Huntsman is a veteran prosecutor who has experience in police misconduct cases. The creation of an inspector general’s office was one of the main recommendations of a citizen’s commission that looked into abuses committed by deputies in the L.A. jail system. Huntsman, a 48-year-old Yale Law School graduate, is expected to be formally introduced as inspector general today…Meanwhile, L.A. County has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a former inmate who said L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca showed “deliberate indifference” to dangerous conditions in the jails. Dion Starr was stabbed more than 20 times in a jailhouse attack seven years ago. He’ll receive more than $700,000. The Sheriff’s Department fought to have Baca removed from the case, but a court ruled that Starr could sue the Sheriff personally…obamadreamworksPresident Barack Obama heaped praise on the entertainment industry during a speech at DreamWorks Animation. The president singled out Hollywood for creating jobs and helping to lead the economic recovery. Obama’s stop at the Glendale studio was his sole public appearance during his two-day trip to the L.A. area. He attended three fundraisers, reportedly raising about $2.5 million for Democratic causes…Two LA City Council members are calling for a ban on feeding homeless people in public spaces. Nearly 60,000 people are estimated to be homeless in L.A. County and more than three-quarters of them will not have a place to sleep indoors on any given night this winter. That’s bringing them into residential neighborhoods, where some locals are complaining about a rise in petty crime and people sleeping on sidewalks…JACKBLACKAnd finally, Gov. Jerry Brown isn’t saying if he’ll run for re-election next year, but that’s not proving to be a detriment to fundraising. The governor’s latest campaign disclosures show donations flowing in from celebrities and business leaders. The L.A. Times reports that former basketball star and Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson and Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt both donated $54,400 – the most allowed by law. Businessmen Eli Broad and Rick Caruso pitched in the same amount. Actors Jack Kirk Douglas and Jack Black both gave the governor $5,000.