Kern County District Attorney's Office
Management
1215 Truxtun Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 868-2340  Fax: (661) 868-2700
E-mail: Email the DA


Organizational Chart (104K PDF)

Edward R. Jagels, District Attorney Edward R. Jagels
District Attorney


District Attorney Ed Jagels has been Kern County’s top prosecutor since 1983.  He is a graduate of Stanford University, where he received his B.A. in history, and the University of California, Hastings College of Law where he received his J.D.    During Jagels’ tenure as District Attorney, Kern County has had the highest per capita prison commitment rate of any major California County.   Jagels is a former president and director of the California District Attorney’s Association.   In 1994 he was appointed to the Governor’s Law Enforcement Steering Committee, and in 1995 was appointed the chairman of the Attorney General’s Policy Council on Violence Prevention.

Mr. Jagels is frequently asked to participate in newspaper, radio and television discussions on such subjects as "Three Strikes and Your Out," victim’s rights, court reform, and legislation.    A strong proponent of public safety, he was the Kern County co-chairman of Proposition 8, the "Victims Bill of Rights," in 1982.    In 1986, he was the steering committee chairman for Crime Victims for Court Reform, the principal organization campaigning for the defeat of California Supreme Court Justices Bird, Grodin, and Reynoso.   In 1990, he was co-author of the "Crime Victims Justice Reform Act"  ( Prop. 115), a sweeping criminal procedure reform, and chairman of its campaign organization, the Crime Victims California Justice Committee. 


Thomas D. (Dan) Sparks, Chief Deputy District Attorney Thomas D. (Dan) Sparks
Assistant District Attorney


Dan Sparks graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1967, and from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1973.  He also served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971.  Dan joined the Kern County District Attorney’s Office in 1974.  He was appointed to Assistant District Attorney in April, 2003.

J. Michael Saleen, Chief Deputy District Attorney J. Michael Saleen
Chief Deputy District Attorney


Mike Saleen is a graduate of Whittier College and Loyola University School of Law.  Mike first joined the Kern County District Attorney's Office in 1980.  In 1988 Mike left to become Director of Trials for the State Bar of California.  He rejoined the District Attorney’s Office in 1990 and was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney on 2001.  Mike is a graduate of the National Fire Academy and the National College of District Attorneys.

Elsa Martinez, Administrative Services Officer Elsa Martinez
Administrative Services Officer


Elsa Martinez is a graduate of California State University Bakersfield and is a Certified Public Accountant. She transferred to the District Attorney’s Office in 2005 from the Kern County Auditor-Controller, and was appointed Administrative Services Officer in 2006.

Larry E. Bentley, Chief Investigator

Larry E. Bentley
Chief Investigator


Chief Investigator Larry E. Bentley came to the District Attorney’s Office in 1987, after transferring from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department where he had served since 1969. He was appointed Lieutenant in 1990 and has served as Chief Investigator since 2000. His tenure with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department included service in Detentions, Detectives, Communications, Metro Patrol, Vice and Narcotics. Chief Bentley holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Bakersfield College and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne. Bentley also holds a P.O.S.T. Management certificate and is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy.


Vernon Kyle, Chief Criminalist Vernon Kyle
Chief Criminalist


Vernon Kyle is a graduate of Fresno State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry. He joined the Criminalistic Laboratory in 1968, when it was a division of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, and was promoted to Chief Criminalist in 1987.


Stephen M.Tauzer
In Memoriam: Stephen M. Tauzer
1945-2002

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