Judge to Decide When Kim Will Begin Home Detention

A federal judge is expected to decide this week whether Rep. Jay Kim (R-Diamond Bar), who last year pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, will begin his home detention sentence before or after the June 2 primary.

Kim was sentenced to two months’ home detention, a year’s probation and 200 hours of community service March 9 for misdemeanor campaign finance violations, but the terms of his probation have not been set. Officials said the delay is not unusual.

Robert Latta, the chief probation officer for Los Angeles, said Tuesday that Kim offered to stay in California after the June 2 primary. Latta said it would be easier to monitor Kim if he stayed in California rather than commuted to Washington.

P.J. O’Neil, a spokesman for Kim, would not comment on what Kim told probation officials but said the congressman has no intention of missing any votes in the Capitol.

Federal prosecutors want Kim to begin serving his sentence as soon as possible. “It would be appropriate for the sentence to be carried out promptly,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Edward Moreton Jr. said.

Two of Kim’s three Republican opponents in the primary objected to any further delay in starting the home detention, which normally involves wearing an electronic monitoring device.

“The average citizen would love to be treated like this by the judicial system,” said Assemblyman Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar). “If you were the average man working in the streets, you would be wearing your little anklet by now. It’s an incredible double standard.”

“He’s been given more than enough mercy,” said Pete Pierce, an Orange County deputy district attorney running against Kim. “It’s an outrage.”

Latta said home detention stays are occasionally deferred to allow scheduled medical treatment or the settlement of business affairs. “It wouldn’t be that we only do it for a congressmen,” he said.

People sentenced to home detention are normally allowed out of the house to work, Latta said.

Regardless of when the home detention phase begins, O’Neil said Kim, who has never missed a vote, will continue to perform congressional and campaign duties.