Rev. Jesse Jackson: San Bernardino County prosecutor should ‘never practice law again’

The Rev. Jesse Jackson called Thursday for the disbarment of San Bernardino County’s top gang prosecutor over vulgar, racist and sexist comments on social media that targeted, among others, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, former first lady Michelle Obama and someone shot by police.

Joining the chorus of civil rights activists condemning Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem, Jackson said: “He has tainted every investigation he’s ever touched, and that’s why he should never practice law again.

“We will not stop until he’s disbarred,” Jackson, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, vowed during a news conference at San Bernardino’s New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. A day earlier, civil rights activists and church leaders rallied outside the San Bernardino County Government Center demanding that all of Selyem’s past cases be reviewed for potential bias or misconduct.

Since the Southern California News Group first reported Friday about Selyem’s offensive social media rants, the national media has followed the story about the 12-year veteran of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, catching Jackson’s attention.

The longtime civil rights activist and a group of ministers gathered Thursday to demand harsh punishment for Selyem, who is on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.

“We have a crisis in the county,” said the Rev. Chuck Singleton, pastor of Loveland Church. “It’s not a new crisis, but it’s just showed its ugly head.”

In posts on Facebook and Instagram, Selyem asked why Waters, a “loud-mouthed c— in the ghetto” hadn’t been shot, said a man shot by police was a “s— bag” who “got what he deserved,” and posted a doctored picture of the former first lady with a sign reading “Trump grabbed my penis.”

“This man should not just be disciplined,” Jackson said, after reading the quotes. “He must be disbarred.”

“To call a congresswoman a c– and a bitch and to say she should be shot is a threat,” Jackson said. And, he warned, “Don’t mess with Auntie Maxine.”

At a news conference Monday, District Attorney Mike Ramos said he was “offended” by Selyem’s social media comments comments, and had ordered an internal investigation after his office received a complaint on June 28. His office would not disclose, however, when he was placed on leave.

Twitter suspended Selyem’s account, and his Facebook and Instagram accounts have been deleted.

A. Majadi, president of the NAACP branch in San Bernardino, called for a suspension of gang sentencing enhancements while Selyem’s case is being investigated. Gang enhancements apply to any crime committed “for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang.” The enhancement can tack on up to 15 years of additional prison time, depending on the severity of the crime.

Majadi also called for implicit bias training for the entire D.A.’s office. Starbucks held companywide implicit bias training in May, to help employees recognize and respond to unconscious biases and prejudices they might hold, after several highly publicized incidents in the spring.

Selyem, a 50-year-old resident of Placentia, was an Orange County sheriff’s deputy for seven years before he joined the prosecutors’ office in 2006. Ramos and Public Defender G. Christopher Gardner both said Monday that, prior to internal complaints received last month, there had been no complaints about Selyem or sign of bias in his work.

Selyem’s pay as a deputy district attorney was $148,842 last year, according to state controller’s data published by Transparent California, a nonprofit that publishes a database of public employee salaries and pensions. His benefits totaled $59,821, for a total compensation package of $208,663.

Selyem also collected $48,114 last year in disability payments from the Orange County Employees Association, according to the data. Neither OCERS nor the Sheriff’s Department would explain why Selyem qualified for such an early retirement, citing privacy concerns.

Jackson linked Selyem’s comments to the national political climate under President Donald Trump, though he didn’t mention Waters’ own call for people to gather in crowds to confront Trump administration officials wherever they’re spotted.

“There’s an unusual season of violence facing our nation today. This acid rain is raining from the top,” he said.

Jackson, who announced in November 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, told the crowd of about 100 San Bernardino-area civic and religious leaders to dig in for a long battle: “This is not a one-day fight, this is a long-term fight. America’s character is at stake.

“We fight for justice in the valley of San Bernardino and in the mountains of Appalachia,” Jackson said, before concluding the news conference with another prayer. “We are all God’s children. We will win this battle.”

After the news conference, Jackson headed to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office to meet with Ramos, but the district attorney was out of town, a spokesman said.

Rev. Jesse Jackson stops by the San Bernardino County’s district attorneys office to talk about removing gang prosecutor Michael Selyem after his social media rants put him in the spotlight pic.twitter.com/6tFuLH2fku

— Stan Lim (@stanlimphoto) July 12, 2018

Staff Writer Teri Sforza contributed to this article.