District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Cheryl M. Temple has been selected to serve as the Chief Assistant District Attorney. The position is second in command in the office, overseeing 282 employees and some 20,000 criminal prosecutions a year. The appointment is effective August 19, 2019.
Ms. Temple received her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. She has a B.A. in Law and Society with an emphasis in Criminal Justice from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and an L.L.M. in Prosecutorial Science from Chapman University. Ms. Temple first joined the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office in 1997 and spent over a decade in Major Crimes prosecuting murder cases. She is one of the office’s most experienced homicide prosecutors, and she successfully tried a number of capital murder cases before supervising the General Felony Unit. After maternity leave, Ms. Temple spent an extended time away from the office to raise her two children with her husband.
Ms. Temple returned to the District Attorney’s Office in September 2018, where she has served as Chief Deputy District Attorney of Special Prosecutions, overseeing consumer and environmental crimes, major fraud, technology crimes, and the office’s Juvenile Unit. She is also currently the Ventura County prosecutor assigned to the multi-county prosecution of Joseph D’ Angelo, the Golden State Killer.
The appointment follows the retirement of Michael D. Schwartz, who has been Chief Assistant District\Attorney since 2018. Mr. Schwartz graduated from UCLA School of Law and served almost 40 years in the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, starting as a law clerk in 1979. He worked in a variety of assignments in the office, including misdemeanors, juvenile, felonies, consumer and environmental protection, and writs and appeals. He also served as Special Assistant District Attorney, enforcing the Ralph M. Brown Act (public meeting law), overseeing prosecution of official misconduct, and managing the Crime Victims’ Assistance Unit. Mr. Schwartz is a statewide expert regarding Brady v. Maryland, which ensures that criminal defendants are provided with information that may be helpful to their defense; and he regularly lectured on the professional responsibilities of prosecutors. Mr. Schwartz also served as the District Attorney’s first conviction integrity deputy, with responsibility to review claims of factual innocence.
Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Drescher has been selected as Chief Deputy District Attorney of Special Prosecutions. Mr. Drescher received his B.A. in History from Colorado College. He received his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He joined the office in 1994 and has prosecuted misdemeanors, domestic violence, writs and appeals, major crimes, general felony, and serious and violent felonies. He has supervised the Major Fraud Unit, the Felony Unit, and Court Operations.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.
Follow the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Twitter@VenturaDAOffice
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free  SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
