A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, placed on leave in January 2023, was released from jail early Tuesday after posting $50,000 bond following his Monday arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence, the sheriff’s department said.
Jim Devoe, 30, was arrested two years after being charged with physically abusing his 5-year-old son.
Details about the latest incident remain limited, but the sheriff’s department spokesperson confirmed that Devoe was arrested in Lancaster at 4:10 p.m. Monday on suspicion of corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.
The department also announced ongoing criminal and internal investigations into Devoe, who worked as a bailiff at the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster.
“The Sheriff’s Department holds its employees to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” the statement read. “We are committed to ensuring accountability for actions both on and off duty, as public trust is earned through transparency, responsibility, and adherence to the law.”
Devoe’s attorney, Sharon Paris Babakhan, declined to comment on the latest arrest but said,
“It is important for the public to recognize that Jim has endured significant personal and professional losses as a result of the pending matter … The past two years have been extremely difficult for him.”
In June 2023, Devoe pleaded not guilty to felony child abuse charges, stemming from allegations that he hit his son and violated a protective order that barred contact with the child. The L.A. County district attorney’s office said Devoe had told the boy’s mother via text that the child was injured while riding his bike.
However, when the mother picked up her son, he had serious bruising and swelling on his face. Both the 5-year-old and his brother told sheriff’s investigators in a hospital interview that Devoe had punched the boy.
The district attorney’s office stated in May 2023 that Devoe was
“accused of slapping and punching his son in the face, causing visible injuries, and then lying to the boy’s mother about the cause of the injuries, including facial swelling and bruising, an eye hemorrhage, and red marks.”
Babakhan later said she had negotiated a favorable resolution with the District Attorney and expected the felony charges to be dismissed in exchange for a plea to a single misdemeanor count at the next court date on July 1, 2025.
Devoe had been placed on leave three months before his 2023 arrest amid multiple misconduct allegations, including the alleged possession of illegal steroids. The sheriff’s department’s recent statement noted he remains relieved “pending the outcome of an internal administrative investigation.”
Anthony Salerno, Devoe’s former attorney, denied the steroid allegations in May 2023, telling The Times that Devoe had passed drug tests and was suspended after his driver’s license was revoked for “speeding at an extremely high rate.”
