Todd Spitzer
Encyclopedia
Todd Spitzer is a former California
State Assemblyman, Orange County
Supervisor, Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, long-time Victims’ Rights advocate
and current advisor to Marsy’s Law for All, the organization formed after the 2008 passage of California’s Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy's Law
.
As an Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, Spitzer handled criminal matters and supervised line prosecutors. He has prosecuted felonies including attempted murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Spitzer has tried nearly 100 jury trials to verdict.
Spitzer joined the Orange County DA’s Office in 1990 and served until 1997. During this period Spitzer developed his interest in victims’ rights. Mothers Against Drunk Driving
honored Spitzer with its Outstanding Prosecutor Award (1995), and he was voted Outstanding Prosecutor by the Orange County DA’s office (1994).
and raised in nearby Montebello
, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles
. He excelled in academics, student government, music and theatre, and graduated from Schurr High School
in 1978. On November 7, 2008, Spitzer was inducted into the Schurr High School Hall of Fame for his achievements in law and politics.
(1989), and a Law Degree from UC Hastings School of Law
(1989). While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, for the law student dedicating his career to public service. This scholarship provided full tuition and expenses while at Hastings. At Berkeley, Spitzer also received a full academic scholarship.
In 1984-85, Spitzer worked as an English teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School
in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
involving a former registrar changing students’ grades to enhance their chances of getting into college. As a result, the school’s principal was terminated and the Superintendent forced into early retirement.
In 1996, Spitzer was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. While serving on the board, he established the first County restaurant rating system. Spitzer also served on the Orange County Transportation Authority (Chair 2001-2002); as a director of the Orange County Fire Authority (Chair 1999-2000); and as a director of the San Joaquin Hills (Chair 1999 & 2000) and Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agencies. He also served as a director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, a member of the Orange County Local Redevelopment Authority , a member of the Orange County Library Advisory Board , a member of the Saint Joseph Medical Center Advisory Council and a member of the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) of Orange County Advisory Board.
In 2002, Spitzer was elected to the State Assembly from the 71st District, followed by two additional two-year terms. He served on the Assembly Judiciary and Public Safety Committees. He was the only Republican to serve as Chairman of an Assembly standing policy committee—the Select Committee on Prison Construction and Operations. Spitzer also served as Republican Whip, the lead policy spokesman for his Caucus.
On August 24, 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger
signed legislation, AB 488, authored by Spitzer and Nicole Parra
(D-Hanford), which put Megan's Law on the Internet. Spitzer also was appointed by the Governor to serve as Co-Chair the state’s first High-Risk Sex Offender and Sexually Violent Predator Task Force. The recommendations from that policy work resulted in AB 1015 (Chu and Spitzer), which created the Sex Offender Management Board, the first sex offender oversight board in California.
Spitzer served as statewide Co-chair for Proposition 69
, the DNA Fingerprint initiative, which was passed by voters in November 2004. The same year he was a statewide spokesperson for the “No on Proposition 66”
campaign and served as its Orange County Chair. Considered one of the largest electoral turnarounds ever in California politics, Proposition 66 was defeated by 46.6% to 53.4%. The ballot initiative at one point had approximately 65% voter approval. The defeat of Proposition 66 ensured that approximately 26,000 serious and violent criminals remained behind bars.
In 2008, Spitzer served as statewide Chair of the campaign to pass Marsy’s Law, a ballot initiative that amended the California Constitution to enact the California Victims’ Bill of Rights.
In March 2011, Spitzer announced his candidacy for the 2012 Orange County Board of Supervisors Third District seat.
named him its “Legislator of the Year,” citing his extensive work with Megan’s Law and his dedication to protecting victims of sexual assault. In 2006, the California State Sheriff’s Association named Spitzer “Outstanding Assembly Member” for his service on the Assembly Public Safety Committee. In 2005, Crime Victims United of California named him “Legislator of the Year”.
In 2005, the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney’s Association presented Spitzer with a Special Distinction Award for his efforts to defeat Proposition 66. In addition, the California Narcotics Officers Association named him Legislator of the Year in 2006 for his support of crackdowns on methamphetamine use and production.
Spitzer serves as an Honorary Board Member of the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau (Renamed Crime Victims Action Alliance) and as a Board Member of Crime Survivors, Inc., and the Orange County’s Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). He also served as a member of the Orange County Bar Association Administration of Justice Committee. He is on the Advisory Board for the Orange County Council along with Ca. Assemblyman James Silva, and former State Senator Van Tran Boy Scouts of America
. In 2003, he received that organization’s Visionary Award, given annually to a person who exemplifies the attributes of the Scout Oath and Law, and who has demonstrated leadership and philanthropy in the Hispanic and Latino communities.
From 1990 to 2000 , Spitzer served as a Level 1 Line Reserve Police Officer in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division in East Los Angeles, where he founded the Driving Under the Influence Task Force. In 1999, Assemblyman Spitzer was named Reserve Officer of the Year for his Division and for the LAPD Central Bureau.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Assemblyman, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
Supervisor, Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, long-time Victims’ Rights advocate
Victims' rights group
A victims' rights group is a type of advocacy group which advocates or lobbies for legal, social or political change on behalf of victims of serious crime or injustice. Members of such groups often include family members or friends of such victims....
and current advisor to Marsy’s Law for All, the organization formed after the 2008 passage of California’s Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy's Law
Marsy's Law
Proposition 9 is an Amendment to the California Constitution enacted by California voters through the initiative process in the November 2008 state elections...
.
As an Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, Spitzer handled criminal matters and supervised line prosecutors. He has prosecuted felonies including attempted murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Spitzer has tried nearly 100 jury trials to verdict.
Spitzer joined the Orange County DA’s Office in 1990 and served until 1997. During this period Spitzer developed his interest in victims’ rights. Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
honored Spitzer with its Outstanding Prosecutor Award (1995), and he was voted Outstanding Prosecutor by the Orange County DA’s office (1994).
Early life
Spitzer was born in Whittier, CaliforniaWhittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
and raised in nearby Montebello
Montebello
Montebello is the name of several places:* Montebello Islands, Australia* Montebello, Quebec, Canada* Montebello della Battaglia, Pavia, Italy* Montebello, Rimini, Province of Rimini, Italy * Montebello Vicentino, Vicenza, Italy...
, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He excelled in academics, student government, music and theatre, and graduated from Schurr High School
Schurr High School
Schurr High School is a secondary school in the Montebello Unified School District, located at 820 North Wilcox Avenue, Montebello, California, 90640. Students attending this school live in the Montebello-Monterey Park area.-History:...
in 1978. On November 7, 2008, Spitzer was inducted into the Schurr High School Hall of Fame for his achievements in law and politics.
Education and early career
Spitzer earned his Bachelors Degree from UCLA (1982), a Masters Degree in Public Policy from UC BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(1989), and a Law Degree from UC Hastings School of Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law is a public law school in San Francisco, California, located in the Civic Center neighborhood....
(1989). While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, for the law student dedicating his career to public service. This scholarship provided full tuition and expenses while at Hastings. At Berkeley, Spitzer also received a full academic scholarship.
In 1984-85, Spitzer worked as an English teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Los Angeles)
See also Roosevelt High School for schools of the same nameTheodore Roosevelt High School is a high school located in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, California named for the 26th president of the United States....
in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Political career
Spitzer’s first elective office was as a Trustee to the Brea Olinda School Board (1992–1996), where he investigated a grading scandal at Brea Olinda High SchoolBrea Olinda High School
Brea Olinda High School is a 9th–12th grade public high school located in Brea, California. Established in 1927, the school was originally located across the street from the Brea Mall in what has become the Brea Marketplace. In 1989, the school moved to its current location on the north end...
involving a former registrar changing students’ grades to enhance their chances of getting into college. As a result, the school’s principal was terminated and the Superintendent forced into early retirement.
In 1996, Spitzer was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. While serving on the board, he established the first County restaurant rating system. Spitzer also served on the Orange County Transportation Authority (Chair 2001-2002); as a director of the Orange County Fire Authority (Chair 1999-2000); and as a director of the San Joaquin Hills (Chair 1999 & 2000) and Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agencies. He also served as a director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, a member of the Orange County Local Redevelopment Authority , a member of the Orange County Library Advisory Board , a member of the Saint Joseph Medical Center Advisory Council and a member of the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) of Orange County Advisory Board.
In 2002, Spitzer was elected to the State Assembly from the 71st District, followed by two additional two-year terms. He served on the Assembly Judiciary and Public Safety Committees. He was the only Republican to serve as Chairman of an Assembly standing policy committee—the Select Committee on Prison Construction and Operations. Spitzer also served as Republican Whip, the lead policy spokesman for his Caucus.
On August 24, 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger is a German surname that means person from Schwarzenegg, which is both a town in Switzerland and a place in Land Salzburg in Austria...
signed legislation, AB 488, authored by Spitzer and Nicole Parra
Nicole Parra
Nicole M. Parra was a California State Assemblywoman from 2002–2008. She is a Democrat, who represented the 30th Assembly District which is in California's Central Valley.-Background:...
(D-Hanford), which put Megan's Law on the Internet. Spitzer also was appointed by the Governor to serve as Co-Chair the state’s first High-Risk Sex Offender and Sexually Violent Predator Task Force. The recommendations from that policy work resulted in AB 1015 (Chu and Spitzer), which created the Sex Offender Management Board, the first sex offender oversight board in California.
Spitzer served as statewide Co-chair for Proposition 69
California Proposition 69 (2004)
California Proposition 69, the DNA Initiative, was a successful 2004 California ballot proposition that allows for the collection of DNA samples from all felons and from people who have been arrested for certain crimes...
, the DNA Fingerprint initiative, which was passed by voters in November 2004. The same year he was a statewide spokesperson for the “No on Proposition 66”
California Proposition 66 (2004)
Proposition 66 was a California ballot proposition on the November 2, 2004 ballot. It was a proposed amendment to the California three-strikes law . Prop 66 would have required the third felony charge against a suspect to be special violent and/or serious crimes to mandate a 25-years-to-life sentence...
campaign and served as its Orange County Chair. Considered one of the largest electoral turnarounds ever in California politics, Proposition 66 was defeated by 46.6% to 53.4%. The ballot initiative at one point had approximately 65% voter approval. The defeat of Proposition 66 ensured that approximately 26,000 serious and violent criminals remained behind bars.
In 2008, Spitzer served as statewide Chair of the campaign to pass Marsy’s Law, a ballot initiative that amended the California Constitution to enact the California Victims’ Bill of Rights.
In March 2011, Spitzer announced his candidacy for the 2012 Orange County Board of Supervisors Third District seat.
Awards and recognition
Spitzer has received numerous awards and recognition. In 2000, the Orange County Republican Party named him Local Elected Official of the Year. In 2004, the California Coalition Against Sexual AssaultCalifornia Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Founded in 1980, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault is a membership association of rape crisis centers and sexual assault prevention programs in the State of California, in the United States of America...
named him its “Legislator of the Year,” citing his extensive work with Megan’s Law and his dedication to protecting victims of sexual assault. In 2006, the California State Sheriff’s Association named Spitzer “Outstanding Assembly Member” for his service on the Assembly Public Safety Committee. In 2005, Crime Victims United of California named him “Legislator of the Year”.
In 2005, the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney’s Association presented Spitzer with a Special Distinction Award for his efforts to defeat Proposition 66. In addition, the California Narcotics Officers Association named him Legislator of the Year in 2006 for his support of crackdowns on methamphetamine use and production.
Spitzer serves as an Honorary Board Member of the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau (Renamed Crime Victims Action Alliance) and as a Board Member of Crime Survivors, Inc., and the Orange County’s Trauma Intervention Program (TIP). He also served as a member of the Orange County Bar Association Administration of Justice Committee. He is on the Advisory Board for the Orange County Council along with Ca. Assemblyman James Silva, and former State Senator Van Tran Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. In 2003, he received that organization’s Visionary Award, given annually to a person who exemplifies the attributes of the Scout Oath and Law, and who has demonstrated leadership and philanthropy in the Hispanic and Latino communities.
From 1990 to 2000 , Spitzer served as a Level 1 Line Reserve Police Officer in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division in East Los Angeles, where he founded the Driving Under the Influence Task Force. In 1999, Assemblyman Spitzer was named Reserve Officer of the Year for his Division and for the LAPD Central Bureau.