Michael A. Ramos

The eldest of three children, Ramos was born at Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands, California, in 1957.[http://redlands.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/coffee-with-district-attorney-mike-ramos-talks-about-04c3042103 Coffee w District Attorney Mike Ramos: Redlands Native Talks Past and Present - Police & Fire - Redlands-Loma Linda, CA Patch] Ramos attended Redlands High School. After graduating in 1976, Ramos earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Riverside, in 1980 and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Citrus Belt Law School in Riverside in 1988. Notably, this law school was unaccredited in the state of California,{{Cite web|url=http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Law-School-Regulation/Law-Schools|title=The State Bar of California|website=www.calbar.ca.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-09}} and has since closed its doors. He was admitted to the California bar in 1989.[http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/141025 State Bar of CA: Michael Anthony Ramos] Ramos' government service began in 1980, when he started as a group counselor with the Probation Department and then later became a probation officer. He started his career with the District Attorney's Office in June 1989, as a deputy district attorney in the Major Crimes Unit.[http://www.sbcountyda.org/AboutDARamos/AboutDistrictAttorneyMichaelRamos.aspx Mike Ramos | San Bernardino County District Attorney]

Ramos was elected in 2002 and reelected in 2006, 2010 and 2014. He served as president of the [http://www.cdaa.org/ California District Attorneys Association] and as chair of the Corrections and Reentry Committee for the [http://www.ndaa.org/ National District Attorneys Association].[http://www.vcgcb.ca.gov/publications/connection/VCCJuly2010.html Victim Compensation Connection Newsletter, July 2010]{{Cite web |url=http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/San%20Diego%20committeeboard.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-05-24 |archive-date=2013-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127042945/http://ndaa.org/pdf/San%20Diego%20committeeboard.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Ramos has been married to his wife Gretchen for 30 years. He has two grown children, Michael and Michele, and a grandson, Christian. His grandparents came to the U.S. from Mexico, and his father served in the United States Marine Corps.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20150702/san-bernardino-county-district-attorney-blasts-trump-over-ethnic-remarks|title=San Bernardino County District Attorney blasts Trump over ethnic remarks|author=Saunders, Doug|work=San Bernardino Sun|date=July 2, 2015|access-date=November 17, 2016}}

Ramos is in favor of capital punishment.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140116115225/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-26/news/sns-rt-us-usa-california-deathpenaltybre89p06c-20121025_1_death-penalty-california-executions-death-row/2 Californians asked to end death penalty - to save money - Page 2 - Chicago Tribune] In November 2012, Ramos campaigned heavily against Proposition 34, also known as the SAFE California Act.{{cite web |url=http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/ndaa_clips_5_02_12.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515122550/http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/ndaa_clips_5_02_12.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-15 }} Proposition 34 sought to replace California's death penalty with a life sentence with no chance of parole as the maximum punishment for murder.[http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/34/ Proposition 34 | Official Voter Information Guide | California Secretary of State] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104112959/http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/34/ |date=2012-11-04 }} The initiative to repeal the death penalty failed by a narrow margin of 52.8% to 47.2%.{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2012-general/ssov/ballot-measures-summary-by-county.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415051403/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2012-general/ssov/ballot-measures-summary-by-county.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-15 }}[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/09/proposition34-fails-california-death-penalty Prop 34 fails but signals the imminent demise of California's death penalty | David A Love | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk] In 2016, Ramos co-chaired the Death Penalty Reform Initiative Committee for Proposition 66 which sought to keep the death penalty in California. On Nov. 9, 2016, the initiative passed with 51.13% of the vote.

Ramos was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the Governor's Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board on January 23, 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.vcgcb.ca.gov/docs/reports/AnnualReport-FY-07-08.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103193017/http://www.vcgcb.ca.gov/docs/reports/AnnualReport-FY-07-08.pdf |archive-date=2010-11-03 }} After being elected to his first term, one of the first actions that Ramos took was placing the supervisor in charge of victim services on his executive staff, elevating the position to the role of a chief, and creating the Bureau of Victim Services Unit. In 2013, during Crime Victims' Rights Week, Ramos announced that his office had contracted with One Call, an automated phone system, in an effort to reach crime victims and give them information about their rights and possible compensation.[http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/notified-40000-phone-rights.html Crime victims in SB County to be notified of rights by phone | notified, phone, rights - Victorville Daily Press] Crime victims who provide law enforcement with a land line phone number will get the recorded message that tells them they have rights under the state's 2008 Victims' Bill of Rights Act, passed by voters as Proposition 9.[http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_23091644/vigil-crime-victims-offers-hope-advocacy Vigil for crime victims offers hope, advocacy in San Bernardino - San Bernardino County Sun] It is most often referred to as Marsy's Law.[http://oag.ca.gov/victimservices/marsys_law Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy's Law | State of California - Department of Justice - Kamala D. Harris Attorney General]

In a stunning rebuke of Ramos, a high-profile criminal case against four men collapsed in September 2017, with one newspaper later calling the prosecution a “boondoggle.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/09/29/how-did-colonies-case-go-so-wrong/|title=How did Colonies case go so wrong?|date=2017-09-29|work=Daily Bulletin|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}}

Ramos and then-Attorney General Jerry Brown had announced in 2011 a corruption prosecution against Paul Biane, a former 2nd District supervisor; Jim Erwin, former chief of staff for 3rd District Supervisor Neil Derry; Mark Kirk, former chief of staff for 4th District Supervisor Gary Ovitt; and Jeff Burum, general partner with Colonies Partners LP.[http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/corruption-27631-county-.html Grand jury indicts four in $102 million SBC bribery scheme | bernardino, million, bribery - Victorville Daily Press]

A jury acquitted three of the defendants, Jeff Burum, Paul Biane and Mark Kirk, and charges against the fourth defendant, Jim Erwin, were dropped after a separate jury deadlocked. Several jurors said they believed key prosecution witnesses had lied and questioned why the case was ever brought in the first place.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/08/28/a-lot-of-their-evidence-relied-on-a-liar-colonies-jurors-say/|title='A lot of their evidence relied on a liar,' Colonies jurors say|date=2017-08-29|work=Daily Bulletin|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}} By early 2018, all of the defendants had filed separate claims against the county and the state of California, citing malicious prosecution and seeking in total more than $100 million for damages.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/02/26/last-of-vindicated-colonies-corruption-case-defendants-paul-biane-files-claims-against-county-and-state/|title=Last of vindicated Colonies corruption case defendants, Paul Biane, files claims against county and state|date=2018-02-27|work=Daily Bulletin|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}}

In 2009, Ramos created the county's Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (C.A.S.E.).[http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/speaking-out/2013/apr/1/interview-case-coalition-against-sexual-exploitati/ Interview with CASE: Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation | Washington Times Communities] C.A.S.E. brought together a partnership of county departments including the District Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Department, Probation Department, County Superintendent of Schools, Department of Children and Family Services, Public Defender, and Department of Behavioral Health, to raise awareness and to provide enhanced county and community resources to victims.[http://www.tonyrocha.com/activist-says-human-trafficking-a-local-problem/ Activist says human trafficking a local problem « Tony Rocha Official Blog] He campaigned heavily in favor of Proposition 35 which voters overwhelmingly passed in 2012 and which created a Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.[http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_21902349/proposition-35-would-help-stop-sexual-trafficking-says Proposition 35 would help stop sexual trafficking, says San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos, survivors - San Bernardino County Sun]{{Cite web |url=http://blog.pe.com/crime-blotter/2013/01/18/heres-more-of-the-plan-to-combat-human-trafficking-in-s-b-county/ |title=Here's more of the plan to combat human trafficking in S.B. County |access-date=2013-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116131338/http://blog.pe.com/crime-blotter/2013/01/18/heres-more-of-the-plan-to-combat-human-trafficking-in-s-b-county/ |archive-date=2014-01-16 |url-status=dead }} In an effort to reduce the demand for victims of human trafficking, Ramos started the Stop the John Project in 2013 and began releasing the names and photographs of those defendants convicted of solicitation in San Bernardino County.[http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/solicitor-38658-online-photos.html DA to post prostitution solicitor photos online | solicitor, online, photos - Victorville Daily Press][http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/04/03/stop-the-john-project-to-id-defendants-convicted-of-solicitation/ 'Stop The John' Project To ID Defendants Convicted Of Solicitation « CBS Los Angeles][http://www.dailybulletin.com/breakingnews/ci_22928972/das-stop-john-program-shame-sex-solicitors DA's Stop-the-John program to shame sex-solicitors - DailyBulletin.com] In September 2014 Ramos made a blog post {{cite web |url=http://www.joinmikeramos.com/news/2014/9/18/barcodes-and-human-trafficking |title=Barcodes and Human Trafficking... — Join Mike Ramos for California Attorney General 2018 |access-date=2015-07-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711102636/http://www.joinmikeramos.com/news/2014/9/18/barcodes-and-human-trafficking |archive-date=2015-07-11 }} mistaking the popular BDSM web page "The Slave Registry" for a human trafficking / prostitution front.

Through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), the DA office implemented the "Let's End Truancy" (L.E.T.) Project, which works to improve school attendance for previously truant students, discourage future truancy and helps to make education a priority for at-risk youth.[http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_19904882 DA makes case for state support of anti-truancy programs - DailyBulletin.com] One step that Ramos took to address the problem of truancy was arresting parents for failure to address the issue.[http://www.dailybulletin.com/crime/ci_19674783 Three Fontana school district parents arrested for failure to address truancy - DailyBulletin.com][http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/05/fontana-school-parents-arrested-over-kids-truancy/ Fontana school parents arrested over kids' truancy | UTSanDiego.com]

Ramos also has various other programs such as Camp Good Grief and the Gang Resistance Intervention Partnership (GRIP). Camp Good Grief is a three-day grief camp for children and teens whose lives have been shattered due to an act of murder or suicide.{{Cite web |url=http://www.inlandvalleynews.com/2010/04/15/das-office-holds-6th-annual-camp-good-grief-special-victims-program-svp-3/ |title=DA's Office Holds 6th Annual "Camp Good Grief" – Special Victims' Program (SVP) - Inland Valley News |access-date=2013-05-24 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130619222023/http://www.inlandvalleynews.com/2010/04/15/das-office-holds-6th-annual-camp-good-grief-special-victims-program-svp-3/ |archive-date=2013-06-19 |url-status=dead }} The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, in partnership with Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, offer the camp.

In 2011, in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States and Fontana Animal Services, Ramos released a short film to increase awareness about the dangers of cockfighting.[http://www.sbsun.com/ci_19476259 San Bernardino County targets cockfighting - San Bernardino County Sun]{{YouTube|E57h2egfIAg|Cockfighting In San Bernardino County}} To better focus on animal abuse, in 2012 Ramos created the San Bernardino County Illegal Animal Fighting and Abuse Task Force, a multi-disciplinary collaboration designed to promote community awareness, education and prosecution of animal fighting and abuse in San Bernardino County.[http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_20336484/san-bernardino-county-task-force-focus-animal-abuse San Bernardino County task force to focus on animal abuse - DailyBulletin.com]

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{{Commons category|Michael A. Ramos}}

• [http://www.sbcountyda.org/ San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office]

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Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Redlands, California

Category:University of California, Riverside alumni

Category:District attorneys in California

Category:California Republicans

Category:American politicians of Mexican descent