Charles Edward Sebastian (March 30, 1873 – April 17, 1929) was the 30th
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, serving from 1915 to 1916. He was a Democrat.
Biography
He was born in
Farmington, Missouri
Farmington is a city and the county seat of St. Francois County, Missouri, United States. It is in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 18,217. Farmington was established in 1822 a ...
on March 30, 1873.
Originally a patrolman in the
LAPD
The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
, Sebastian climbed the ranks to
Chief of Police
A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the command hierarchy, chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or somet ...
and served in that office from January 3, 1911 to July 16, 1915. He was the first L.A. police chief to be elected mayor, due in no small part to his crusade against
vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
. While running for office he became embroiled in a litany of charges but was later acquitted of them all. He did, however, later depart City Hall after adverse publicity concerning his personal life arose from the publication of letters of a damaging nature. According to
Thomas Reppetto
Thomas Anthony Reppetto (August 17, 1931 – May 5, 2020) was a police officer, crime watchdog, historian, educator, and author. He was a commander of detectives in the Chicago Police Department and the president of New York City's Citizens Crime ...
's ''The Blue Parade'', "In 1915 he resigned to run for mayor but was accused of illicit relations with young ladies. Defended by
Earl Rogers
Earl Rogers (November 18, 1869 – February 22, 1922) was an American trial lawyer and professor. Rogers became the inspiration for Erle Stanley Gardner's fictional character Perry Mason. He was posthumously inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall ...
, he beat the charge and was elected. The next year, however, the accusations were proved, and to them were added new charges of extortion. Sebastian countered by staging a phony attempt on his life, but the plot was revealed and he resigned."
During his brief mayoralty, Sebastian oversaw the
annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
of numerous outlying areas, including most of the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
and the
West Side
West Side or Westside may refer to:
Places Canada
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Westside, Birmingham ...
.
He died April 17, 1929, and is interred at Glen Haven Memorial Park in
Sylmar, California
Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and the northernmost neighborhood within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past t ...
.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sebastian, Charles E.
1873 births
1929 deaths
20th-century mayors of places in California
Chiefs of the Los Angeles Police Department
Democratic Party mayors in California
Mayors of Los Angeles
People from Farmington, Missouri