Are Politics Stopping DA Ron Freitas from Charging Tracy’s Former City Attorney?
It goes without saying that County District Attorney Ron Freitas is dedicated to law enforcement and has a stellar track record as a prosecutor.
As a politician, however, his record is muddier.
This brings us to his decision not to prosecute Tracy’s disgraced former City Attorney, Bijal Patel, who admitted to the State Bar of California that she practiced law with a suspended license back in 2023.
That’s right, she admitted to breaking the law in an official document she filed in a State Bar disciplinary trial! Read more here.
It’s an issue that was raised with the DA’s office back in August 2023 by former Tracy Mayor Nancy Young.
Freitas chose to do nothing then, and he continues to choose to do nothing now.
The reason why is likely connected to his political ties with Supervisor Robert Rickman, former Tracy City Council Member Eleassia Davis, and current City Council Member Dan Evans.
Our site has documented the Tracy political cabal of Supervisor Rickman, Tracy Council Member Dan Evans, former Tracy Council Member Eleassia Davis, Tracy Planning Commissioner Alice English, and Tracy REACH’s Rosario Arulappan.
This cabal ran an unsuccessful political ticket that included Davis for Mayor of Tracy, English for the Tracy City Council, and Arulappan for the San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees.
If successful, Davis and English would have maintained Dan Evan’s working majority on the city council, a majority that defended Patel’s illegal actions as a “fix it” ticket and then awarded her a substantial raise during the period she practiced law without a license. Read more here.
Evans subsequently refused to accept her resignation, which had been submitted under threat of being fired for her illegal actions. Read more here.
DA Freitas, nonetheless, was seen at various events with the candidates, including Alice English’s campaign kickoff (see below).
While it’s no surprise then that DA Freitas didn't bother to investigate or prosecute Patel, it is well within the County DA’s authority to pursue legal action against Patel, and such action should be taken considering the seriousness of the offense.
California Code, Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6126
Current as of January 01, 2023 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
(a) Any person advertising or holding himself or herself out as practicing or entitled to practice law or otherwise practicing law who is not an active licensee of the State Bar, or otherwise authorized pursuant to statute or court rule to practice law in this state at the time of doing so, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a county jail or by a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
Freitas has a duty to protect the public from individuals providing professional services when those individuals are not correctly licensed.
The public is directly harmed when people without law licenses practice law or people without medical licenses practice medicine, yet Freitas is missing in action.
Perhaps he is trying to pay back his political supporters?
The DA’s failure to act against Patel is a significant political misstep by Freitas, eroding public trust, as the DA’s main duty is to serve as the public prosecutor for the entire county.
Freitas, it turns out, has his fair share of political mishaps and controversies.
Alleged Collusion Targeting SUSD Trustee
During the recent trial of Stockton Unified School District Trustee AngelAnn Flores, The Stockton Record reported that a defense witness testified that Freitas and Motecuzoma Sanchez, founder and publisher of 209 Times, allegedly conspired to target Flores.
According to the witness, Sanchez and Freitas, then a candidate for District Attorney, met to discuss “what they could do for each other.”
The 209 Times’ editorial team later endorsed Ron Freitas for DA.
After the election, Freitas targeted Flores.
The main assertion against Flores involved political corruption related to her role as a school board trustee, but the DA also included a strange and unrelated insurance fraud issue.
A former San Joaquin County prosecutor called the handling of the case ‘highly unusual,’ and thought that the DA’s office was elevating the level of crime. Read more here.
According to knowledgeable attorneys we spoke with, the DA’s office has historically refused to prosecute insurance fraud cases because it needs to focus its limited resources on addressing major crimes.
Insurance fraud matters can be settled through civil litigation filed by the insurance company.
Hiring Former Campaign Spokesman; Paying $270,000 in County Funds
Newly elected DA Frietas began his term in controversy after hiring the company of his former campaign spokesman, Lee Neves, and paying them $270,000 within eight months under the agreement.
The Stockton Record reported that the no-bid contract went unnoticed until they revealed it, which guaranteed Neves’ firm $7,000 per month for media and public communications work.
Even more shocking was that the money used to pay Neves’ firm was out of a fund dedicated to gang and drug prevention.
Although Neves is no longer hired as the DA’s communications firm, there remain questions about the amount of money paid with no public accountability. Read more here.
Freitas needs to stop playing politics, something he’s clearly not good at, and focus on being the county prosecutor.
It’s in the public’s best interest for him to file charges against former Tracy City Attorney Bijal Patel.
Flores denied the DA’s claim and was found not guilty of violating public trust and integrity.
Patel has admitted in the State Bar courtroom that she violated public trust and integrity yet is not being prosecuted.
Without considering his supporters in Tracy and Stockton, how does Freitas explain the different approaches to justice?