Rackauckas held power for 20 years before finally being voted out in 2018, largely due to the jailhouse informant scandal.
| Year | Opponent | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Wally Wade (DDA) | Won 59% | First elected |
| 2002 | Wally Wade (rematch) | Won 62% | Increased margin |
| 2006 | Unopposed | 100% | No challenger |
| 2010 | Unopposed | 100% | No challenger |
| 2014 | Contested | Won 73% | Informant scandal emerging |
| 2018 | Todd Spitzer | Lost | Defeated after 20 years; scandal was central issue |
Sources: Wikipedia; Ballotpedia; Voice of OC; OC Weekly
For more than 30 years, the Orange County DA's office and Sheriff's Department recruited and placed informants in jail cells with defendants, paying and rewarding informants with sentence reductions for extracting incriminating information — without defense counsel present. This constituted systematic 6th Amendment violations on a scale unprecedented in American criminal justice.
In May 2015, Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals disqualified the entire Orange County DA's office (all 250 prosecutors) from the Seal Beach massacre capital trial after finding prosecutors deliberately violated defendant Scott Dekraai's constitutional rights by placing him near an instructed informant. The death penalty was removed from the table. Dekraai received 8 life sentences without parole instead.
At least 57 convictions have been overturned due to the jailhouse informant scandal, with more cases still under review. Each overturned conviction represents years of wrongful imprisonment and massive taxpayer liability.
After a six-year investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice found that Orange County law enforcement unconstitutionally used jailhouse informants to elicit confessions and incriminating evidence for years. The investigation confirmed the systemic nature of the violations.
Rackauckas quietly decided not to have prosecutors inform defense attorneys about 10 sheriff's deputies suspected of lying about or concealing records regarding jail informants. This obstruction compounded the underlying constitutional violations.
Kenneth Clair remains imprisoned despite DNA evidence clearing him, a case that epitomizes the Orange County DA's resistance to correcting wrongful convictions.
A special committee created by Rackauckas himself cited a "failure of leadership" as the root cause of the multi-decade history of prosecutorial misconduct involving jailhouse informants.
After his electoral defeat, Rackauckas admitted during a deposition that he had used a high-profile sexual assault case to increase his chances of winning the 2018 election. He was further accused of fabricating evidence related to a rape and kidnapping case.
"Luck."
Rackauckas admitted in a deposition that he used a high-profile sexual assault case to boost his re-election chances.
Prosecutorial misconduct in an Orange County death penalty case. Pattern of abuse by the DA's office.
False testimony used to secure death penalty convictions under Orange County DA administration.
In-custody death in Orange County jail system during Rackauckas tenure.
Despite decades of documented misconduct, Rackauckas received ZERO State Bar discipline. File a complaint with the California State Bar.
Dozens of cases from the informant era may still need review. Support the Innocence Project and ACLU of Southern California.
Todd Spitzer replaced Rackauckas in 2019. Monitor whether systemic reforms were actually implemented at the Orange County DA's office.
The Board of Supervisors oversees the DA's budget. Contact your supervisor to demand ongoing oversight.