State Attorney General Takes Over Perjury Investigation

PALM SPRINGS – As News Channel 3 first reported on Friday, recently retired District Attorney Senior Investigator Candette Hammond faces allegations of perjury, putting many of the court cases she was involved with in jeopardy.

Now, News Channel 3 has learned the county investigators and the Palm Springs Police Department turned the matter over to the California Attorney General’s office, which agreed it will oversee the investigation.

According toan internal affairs report obtained by News Channel 3, Hammond first came under suspicion in 2006.

Her immediate supervisors at the D.A.’s office concluded she made up an entire interview while investigating a criminal case. They brought the matter up to then Chief Deputy District Attorney Eileen Hunt.

When Hunt told district attorney Rod Pacheco about it, she claims in a recent lawsuit Pacheco told her, “don’t disclose anything.”

The D.A.’s office denies this ever happened, calling Hunt a disgruntled ex-employee.

Hammond targeted former district attorney investigator Luis Bolanos for investigation. The state attorney general’s office arrested him in 2005 for domestic violence and perjury.

After losing his job, and his livelihood, a judge determined the case against Bolanos should have never seen the light of day.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that because of Rod Pacheco, and his directions, there are individuals in custody right now that do not deserve to be there,” Bolanos told News Channel 3. “For this man to supervise and direct,I could be sitting and talking to you in jail right now. Now, who would have listened to me then?”

We interviewed Olga Bates May of 2007. She knew bolano’s ex-wife.

Bates says the D.A.’s office ignored her when she told them the ex-wife admitted lying to her about the charges and the gifts she received from Hammond.

“I was interviewed by twoFBI agents and they were amazed that after my letter of complaint to the District Attorney about Candette’s investigation and her behavior, that no one bothered to talk to me from that office,” she said.

The District Attorney’s office discounts Bolano’s as another disgruntled ex-employee.

David downing is a former prosecutor and now a superior court judge. He testified in support of Luis Bolanos to get his named cleared.

Downing later claimed the D.A.’s office tried to intimidate him. They call Downing’s words “irresponsible.”

The D.A.”s office claims Downing as yet another supposed disgruntled ex-employee.

The sheriff’s department in Palm Desert handed over the Candette Hammond case to Al Franz with Palm Springs police because much of the alleged perjury happened in that city.

The fate of hundreds of criminal cases handled by investigator hammond now hang in the balance.

But, Bolanos says his life is already ruined.

“I lost the ability to care for my kids. I haven’t been able to take care of my kids for the past 5 years. Destroyed me. That’s what mrs. Hammond means to me.”

Investigators with the California Attorney General’s Office will now probe the facts, and determine whether perjury was committed, and whether innocent people could be behind bars.