L.A. County ADA charged with unauthorized use of data

Felony charges have been filed against a Los Angeles County assistant district attorney, who is accused of repeated and unauthorized use of data from confidential, statutorily protected peace officer files, the California Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.

After an extensive investigation, Diana Teran was charged by the California Department of Justice with 11 felony violations of state law prohibiting the use of data from a government computer system without

“No one is above the law. Public officials are called to serve the people and the state of California with integrity and honesty.”

— Attorney General Rob Bonta

permission, according to a statement released by the Attorney General's Office.

Teran allegedly accessed computer data including numerous confidential peace officer files in 2018 while working as a constitutional policing adviser at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and allegedly impermissibly used that data at the District Attorney's Office after going to work there in January 2021, according to the Attorney General's Office.

“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the statement. “Public officials are called to serve the people and the state of California with integrity and honesty.”

Teran's employment status with the District Attorney's

Office was not immediately available.

“When I took office, we developed a protocol that ensured we complied with our constitutional obligations under Brady — which requires us to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense, a category that includes law enforcement's prior misconduct — while simultaneously complying with state and federal law around privacy. I stand by that protocol,” L.A. County DA George Gascón said in a statement.