Landon Quits Post Amid Furor : ‘Stepping Aside’ in Jailbreak Issue

The executive director of a nonprofit corporation set to receive a $40-million county contract to represent indigent defendants resigned Thursday amid a political furor over his alleged role in a Chino prison escape that occurred 16 years ago.

In a letter presented at a meeting of the Community Defenders board of trustees Thursday night, Alex Landon said he is stepping down to ensure that the firm can achieve its goal of serving low-income defendants.

“I am innocent of any wrongdoing, and believe I will be vindicated,” Landon said in his letter. “However, because of my deep concern and commitment to Community Defenders Inc., and to the system of indigent defense which it was created to serve, I am voluntarily stepping aside as the executive director until the board of trustees can fully resolve the false allegations made against me.”

After the meeting, board chairman E. Miles Harvey said Landon’s resignation was accepted with “deep regret.” He said the 12 of 15 trustees present for the meeting expressed “anger and overwhelming sympathy” for Landon and gave him “a unanimous commendation for all that he has done for Community Defenders.”

Harvey said the trustees agreed that “political realities made it clear we could not get a contract with Alex at the helm and subjected to these allegations.”

In an interview, Landon said he would return to private practice and provide “whatever assistance I can” to Community Defenders as it prepares to take over the county’s much-maligned program of defending poor people in court.

“It’s tragic to work so hard on a concept attempting to bring a stable system of indigent defense to San Diego and then leave it unfinished,” Landon said. “But hopefully we built a solid foundation on which someone else can place the final stories.”

Landon, 41, was a veteran public defender selected a year ago from among more than 130 applicants nationwide to head up Community Defenders, which supervisors in January chose to take over the task of providing representation to criminal defendants unable to afford their own attorney.

The allegations dogging Landon stem from the 1972 escape of Ronald Beaty from Chino and were brought to the attention of county supervisors last year by Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego). The escape, in which a van transporting Beaty to a court hearing was run off the road, left one guard shot dead and another wounded.

In 1973, Beaty--who turned state’s witness and helped convict others implicated in the plot--testified that Landon had smuggled jeweler’s blades in to him and had ferried out escape plans. But Beaty later reversed himself and said Landon at most carried out the plans unwittingly.

No blades were ever found, and despite investigations by the State Bar and the San Bernardino County District Attorney, no criminal charges were ever filed against Landon.

At Bailey’s request, Community Defenders hired an independent investigator to re-examine the allegations. Former U.S. Atty. Terry Knoepp did so and recently issued a report concluding that although 39 telephone calls between Landon and participants in the escape raised “disturbing questions,” there was insufficient evidence to support prosecution.

The controversy did not die there, however. In a letter to Harvey, Knoepp complained about the removal from the report of phrases indicating he had doubts about Landon’s credibility. Harvey said Knoepp had reviewed the changes and agreed to them.

In the midst of this debate, county Supervisor George Bailey, one of three votes favoring Community Defenders over a county-run public defenders office, declared he would withdraw his support for the private firm if Landon was at its helm. Without Bailey’s vote, trustees realized they would not be awarded the three-year, $40-million county contract to provide indigent defense.

Harvey said the search for someone to replace Landon will begin immediately. He said Community Defenders, whose contract is scheduled to be considered by the Board of Supervisors within two weeks, hopes to have a new director appointed as soon as possible.

“It’s a sad day for me,” Harvey said. “We’re losing a talented lawyer, a good administrator and someone who has been completely dedicated to providing quality defense for indigents.”