Four Orange County sheriff’s deputies have been fired after an audit found systemic lapses in the handling of evidence. The audit discovered that nearly one-third of the evidence collected by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department from February 2016 to February 2018 was booked beyond the agency’s one-day policy, the Orange County Register reported Monday. Fifteen deputies were criminally investigated in connection with the probe, but the district attorney’s office declined to file charges. Besides the four terminations, seven deputies were disciplined, and four cases are pending. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said the department had since improved the booking of evidence.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 19, 2019 16:11 UTC