Law Enforcement Legal Defense

Supporting officers wrongfully charged with crimes for lawful actions taken in the line of duty.

🎙️ Home of Holding The Line Podcast

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

Finally.

Grateful for the work of @DouglasOConnell and his team who have worked tirelessly for justice in Travis County.

[johnnyk2000 @johnnyk20001]

Travis County jury finds Daniel Perry not guilty of deadly conduct charge after 2020 self defense incident
https://t.co/bsfQ4Pbsj2

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

In June 2020, a crowd gathered in Portsmouth, Virginia to deface and dismantle a Confederate monument—with State Senator Louise Lucas amongst them.

Lucas is captured on police body worn camera telling officers on scene “I’m Senator Louise Lucas. I know I’m in disguise, but they are going to put some paint on this thing. You can not arrest them. You need to call Dr. Patton (the city manager), because they are going to do it. You can’t stop them. This is city property.”

When Angela Greene, then police chief, told protesters to stop their vandalism and alerted Lucas that they were “not authorized to be on the property,” Lucas replied “They are now. They are now. This is city-owned property.”

Greene assured Lucas that she had, in fact, just spoken to the city manager and confirmed that no such action was permitted.

Chief Greene refused to back down. She later launched an investigation and announced felony charges (including injury to a monument and conspiracy) against Senator Lucas and several others for their lawlessness that day.

Shockingly, the felony charges against Senator Lucas and the other defendants were dismissed later that year...

And Chief Greene was wrongfully terminated for upholding the law.

LELDF was proud to support Greene's lawsuit against the city and various officials—and though her suit was not successful, it is undeniable that she was severely wronged for standing up for law and order.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

IT'S OUT! @JudiciaryGOP released the results of its investigation into sanctuary policies in Fairfax County, VA—and cited our research showing DA Steve Descano gives favorable treatment to illegal alien defendants to help them avoid deportation.

[Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_]

NEW: Another insane one involving Fairfax County, VA. A Tunisian illegal alien w/ 30+ arrests and 90+ felony & misdemeanor charges throughout northern VA who routinely has his charges dropped & ICE detainers ignored is back in local custody again.

@NickMinock reports Fairfax DA Steve Descano botched a felony drug case against him last week that could have put him in prison for up to 40 years. Descano’s office failed to publish a witness list as required by a judge’s order, resulting in certain witnesses not being able to testify, and the case was dropped because of Descano’s error. Now he’s arrested again - this time in Arlington County, VA.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

Today the House Judiciary Committee released the results of its investigation into sanctuary policies in Fairfax County, VA and cited our research into Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano.

As we told the DOJ in 2023, Descano consistently gives favorable treatment to illegal alien defendants compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens; his office refused to prosecute and/or significantly reduced charges for criminal illegal aliens to prevent deportation.

The committee found Descano allowed multiple illegal aliens charged with malicious wounding, strangulation, and assault and battery to “escape accountability and reoffend.”

The committee also found Fairfax County, VA ignored at least 1,670 ICE detainers between 2023-2025—releasing criminal illegal aliens back into the community instead.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

UPDATE: Today the House Judiciary Committee released the results of its investigation into sanctuary policies in Fairfax County, VA and cited our research into Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano

As we told the DOJ in 2023, Descano consistently gives favorable treatment to illegal alien defendants compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens; his office refused to prosecute and/or significantly reduced charges for criminal illegal aliens to prevent deportation.

The committee found Descano allowed multiple illegal aliens charged with malicious wounding, strangulation, and assault and battery to “escape accountability and reoffend.”

The committee also found Fairfax County, VA ignored at least 1,670 ICE detainers between 2023-2025—releasing criminal illegal aliens back into the community instead.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

🚨LELDF sounded the alarm—the DOJ listened!

Thrilled to see @AAGDhillon announce investigation into Soros DA Steve Descano.

His policies clearly violate the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

Read @LELDF_President in WSJ (gift link) https://t.co/OPFsd1tSWp

[Austin Justice @AustinJustice]

UPDATE: Alonzo Mabry is dead.

In March, the 62-year-old was using a computer at Austin's Central Library when the man next to him, Daniel Vasquez, stood up, hit him in the head, and stomped on his skull while he lay unconscious. Then Vasquez went back to his computer.

Mabry died in hospice and Vasquez was charged with murder last week.

Before the library, Vasquez had punched a CapMetro bus driver in the mouth. That was dismissed by prosecutors.

He also punched a mother in the face in front of her 11-year-old son, then punched the woman who tried to stop him. Those were also dismissed.

DA Jose Garza's office sent him to a six-month rehab program instead. He finished in June 2025 and every charge was wiped and he went back to the street.

[Dapper Detective @Dapper_Det]

🚨Jerrell Jackson—this is the thug that shot a National Guard member in DC last night while guardsmen were breaking up a street fight.

Unsurprisingly, Jackson has over 13 prior arrests, including felonies in DC—the face of the revolving door of Democrat criminal justice.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts: https://t.co/JdnhjXixEn

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

THE WALLS ARE CLOSING IN: The DOJ sent grand jury subpoenas to the office of Philly's Soros DA

We recently welcomed Philly attorney George Bochetto on the podcast to lay out why a federal judge referred Krasner and his top deputy to the DOJ for criminal investigation.

[For the Blue @FortheBlue1]

@LELDF Thankfully, several states have introduced legislation that would standardize and bring more transparency to Brady-Giglio lists.

The Utah legislature passed a bill last year.

https://t.co/cXprMfaOSy

[Bill Bratton @CommissBratton]

I wanted to share an interesting article by Malcolm Gladwell, entitled “America Has a Policing Shortage,” in the Atlantic.

An inconvenient truth! The unofficial motto of the LAPD during the time I served as Chief, according to the current Chief Jim McDonnell, was “too few who for too long have been asked to do too much with too little.” Even the NYPD with 35,000 officers is understaffed by thousands. To have equivalent staffing to the NYPD, LAPD would need 18,000. McDonnell is doing a fantastic job with 8400, I had 9200 when I lead the LAPD. https://t.co/b7m5Lw4nK7

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

Cory Novick was placed on a black list in retaliation for testimony that conflicted with a political prosecution.

Placement on that list ended his career—with NO opportunity to appeal or often even find out HOW he was put on the list to begin with.

With our full support, Cory Novick is seeking to be reinstated to the @USMarshalsHQ service.

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

BLACKLISTED lays out how Brady lists can give prosecutors enormous power to end law enforcement officers’ careers—and what simple reforms could restore their due process rights.

Read the report: https://t.co/jDWYtbUvhh

[CWBChicago @CWBChicago]

He was on an ankle monitor, had repeatedly violated its conditions, and had an active arrest warrant when he attacked and robbed a pregnant woman at a Loop CTA station.

Now, it’s prison time.

Sentence: 10 years.

He’ll be out in 5.

https://t.co/HRNFhaAFLR

[LawEnforcementToday @LawEnforceToday]

🚨 AGAIN AND AGAIN: Tulare County's Jacob Ramirez Aguilar faces a new m*rder charge FOUR MONTHS AFTER HIS RELEASE for a prior k*lling.
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Deputies found 34-year-old Edgar Zamudio Sotelo sh*t and unresponsive just after midnight on Sept. 27 in the 20800 block of Francis Drive in Richgrove.
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CPR failed and he was pronounced de*d at the scene. Sgt. Brad McLean said a short argument ended when Aguilar produced a handg*n and "fired one round, striking the victim and unfortunately k*lling him on scene."
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Detectives tracked Aguilar through surveillance and witness tips to the 600 block of Kensington Street in Delano. On Oct. 13 the Tulare County SWAT team, Homicide Unit, CATTCH Team and Kern County detectives served a warrant and took him into custody without incident.
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He was booked into the South County Detention Facility on m*rder charges. This is the second time Aguilar has been arrested for m*rder.
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In December 2020, when he was 16, Aguilar was one of two suspects in an armed robbery at the Waukena Market near Corcoran. Store co-owner Manuel Martin, a husband and father of three who knew his customers by name, was working the register when the pair demanded money.
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Martin pulled a g*n in self-defense. McLean said Aguilar then "fired the round." Martin was sh*t twice in the chest and d*ed at the scene. The second suspect, Edwin Ibarra, remained at large at the time.
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Aguilar was found guilty in juvenile court. He was released in May 2026 as "time served" with NO PROBATION AND NO PAROLE. About four months later he was back in custody.

This HAS to stop.
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#TulareCounty #JuvenileJustice

[Austin Justice @AustinJustice]

Austin City Council members, the ACLU, and other activist orgs would rather see Austin’s mentally ill hurt themselves and others than let a cop help them in ways that are proven to work.

[Sgt. Mark Fusetti (Retired) @MarkFusetti]

Awful

[Law Enforcement Legal Defense @LELDF]

$0 bond is a very expensive cost on the public…

[The DC MD VA Live @TheDMVLive]

A man with an extensive criminal history across northern Virginia has been arrested yet again for Urinating/Defacating in Public in Rossyln earlier today 🚨

Arlington County Police arrested James Dean Rousey after he refused to leave an office building on the 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard today. He also defecated/urinated in public, leading to his arrest. During his transport to booking, Rousey became rowdy/combative in the back of the patrol car.

Rousey has TEN prior charges in both Arlington and Fairfax County since January of 2025, including for Trespassing, Drunk in Public, and Urinate and Public.

On most occasions, Rousey is released on bond and goes on to re-offend— sometimes getting arrested several times in the same week.

According to the Arlington Inmate Query, Rousey was released on a $0.00 bond for today’s offense. #NoVa

[Austin Justice @AustinJustice]

The defund the police movement in Austin had the effect of forcing taxpayers to spend a lot more for less policing.

Through early September, APD spent $38 million on overtime, or $11 million over budget.

Last year the city admitted it was taking the salary money from empty police positions ($31 million) and using it to pay overtime instead. Austin has essentially turned unfilled jobs into a funding source and just getting fewer cops on the street for the money.

APD currently has a 16% vacancy rate. In some parts of the city it's far worse. In a patrol sector in southeast Austin, a third of the patrol jobs are empty. Downtown, more than a quarter are empty (in case you didn't notice).

So the same officers keep working longer shifts to cover the gaps. That's expensive, and it's how departments burn people out and lose the people they do have.

Meanwhile, the City Council keeps finding money for other things: art classes, $7 mil in immigration legal service, random $75,000 consultant contracts that haven't been evaluated. Somehow the money never gets to hiring enough cops.