Court clerk at center of massive bribery scheme forged records for drunk drivers and others, prosecutors say

For some of the drunk drivers, speeders and red-light runners of Orange County, the most powerful person to know wasn't a judge, a prosecutor or a defense attorney. It was a low-level paper pusher who rarely saw the inside of a courtroom, authorities say. In 2010, word began spreading quietly through the seamier corners of the O.C's vibrant car enthusiast scene that there was someone working inside the county courts who, for a price, could make a criminal charge or ticket disappear. Over the five years or so that followed, Juan Lopez Jr. forged electronic records to close out more than 1,000 cases in ways that were favorable to the accused, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday. Lopez, prosecutors allege, took advantage of his unchecked access to the court computer system to fabricate electronic trails of justice that was never delivered.