| For Immediate Release January 17, 2008 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO SWEAR IN
NINE NEW INVESTIGATORS, INCLUDING FIRST FEMALE KOREAN-AMERICAN INVESTIGATOR
SANTA ANA – Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas is proud to announce the swearing in of nine newly appointed District Attorney Investigators, including the first female Korean-American Investigator. Investigator Connie Yun-Ah Chung Barnes, 41, Fullerton, will be assigned to the Family Protection Unit. The ceremony will be held tomorrow, Friday, January 18, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in the Law Library at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, 401 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana, CA.
Eight other investigators will also be sworn in tomorrow including Joe Avila, 27 years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Kira Baker, 13 years with LAPD, John Beerling, 30 years with the Hawthorne Police Department, Marc Fleischmann, 37 years with LAPD, Anthony Lembi, 26 years with the Long Beach Police Department, Robert Long, 15 years with the Fullerton Police Department, Diana Salazar, nine years with the Whittier Police Department, and Frank Seminaris. 11 years with the Baldwin Park Police Department.
Barnes joins the Office from the Fullerton Police Department where she served as a sworn police officer from 2001 to the present. Prior to that, she was a sworn police officer for the San Jose Police Department from 1989 to 2001. Barnes has experience in investigating sexual assault, child exploitation and molestation, vice, robbery, and domestic violence cases. She is a certified Korean language translator.
Barnes was born in Korea and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1975. Her parents, three sisters and a brothers moved to San Jose, where she attended grade school through college. Barnes attended California State University, San Jose and received a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice. She is married to a retired Fullerton Police officer, Andrew Barnes, and they have a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.
“It is very exciting to hire a well-qualified candidate of Korean decent into the District Attorney’s Office. I know that Investigator Barnes will serve the People of Orange County by helping Korean speaking victims and witnesses connect with law enforcement,” stated District Attorney Rackauckas. “The Korean community should be very proud of her today.”
Barnes joins District Attorney Investigators John Choo and Joe Kim who were hired in January, 2005 and January, 2006 respectively. The OCDA currently employs seven Korean American prosecutors including Public Affairs Counsel Susan Kang Schroeder, Deputy District Attorneys Angela Hong, Barbara Kim, Lydia Kim, Johanna Kim, Susan Lee, and Christine Oh.