SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a California sheriff's testimony about jailhouse informants (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

Questioned in court, a Southern California sheriff denied the existence of a jailhouse informant system run by her department's deputies.

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens testified Wednesday and addressed allegations the department has wrongfully withheld evidence from defense attorneys about informant use.

The Orange County Register reports (http://bit.ly/2sHqTQm) Hutchens maintained that the long-running controversy surrounding snitches was a "matter of semantics." She conceded there may be a few rogue deputies but denied there's a widespread informant system.

Hutchens was questioned by assistant public defender Scott Sanders as part of an evidentiary hearing in the case for his client, convicted mass murderer Scott Dekraai.

The allegations about informants surfaced in the case against Dekraai and now his lawyer wants his client to be spared the death penalty over the scandal.

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6 a.m.

A Southern California sheriff is expected to testify in court about jailhouse informants amid a long-running scandal over her department's use of snitches.

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is scheduled to take the stand Wednesday to address allegations the department has wrongfully withheld evidence from defense attorneys about informant use.

The allegations surfaced in the case against convicted killer Scott Dekraai.

Dekraai's lawyer wants his client to be spared the death penalty over the scandal.

Dekraai has pleaded guilty to killing eight people in a 2011 shooting rampage at a hair salon.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals previously removed the county district attorney's office from the case after finding deputies lied or withheld evidence about the snitches. The state Attorney General's office is now prosecuting Dekraai's case.