A drug and corruption scandal has rocked the Bakersfield Police Department. Former narcotics detective Damacio Diaz has accepted a plea deal in connection with federal charges that could send him to prison for life. Now that he’s cooperating with authorities, he has allegedly implicated others in the department, including his former partner on the force, Patrick Mara, who has also reportedly accepted a plea deal.
The scandal has raised a number of questions. Does the corruption extend further into the department? And is it something that could jeopardize convictions in cases where Diaz and Mara testified? Steven Mayer of The Bakersfield Californian joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the cases and what it means for the future of the Bakersfield Police Department.