IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Former San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos has been suspended by the State Bar of California.
The six-month suspension from practicing law stems from destroying evidence related to a civil lawsuit, according to multiple reports.
Ramos, who served as district attorney from 2002 to 2018, admitted to having deleted text messages and emails related to a bribery case that was dismissed in 2017.
San Bernardino County eventually paid a $65 million settlement related to that case.
In 2018, the defendants in the bribery case sued the county in 2018 seeking the text messages and emails. Ramos, who was defeated for reelection in 2018, admitted to having deleted them but claimed he was not familiar with the state’s record-keeping laws.
The state bar rejected that argument. Its suspension was first reported June 11.
Ramos, who now works in the communications department at UC Riverside, is prohibited from practicing law for sixth months. He has also been ordered to pay nearly $4,000 in fees and penalties, according to the reports.
