Facts Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that James O’Doan had experienced an epileptic seizure, was trying to break windows, and had fled his home naked. When officers arrived, O’Doan refused to comply with the officers’ commands to stop and took off quickly. Officer Sanford used a “reverse reap throw”1 to bring him […]

On March 24, 2017, our law firm filed an amicus curiae brief in the above-referenced case in support of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), on behalf of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association (RSA), the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) and the Southern California Alliance of Law Enforcement (SCALE). The primary concern of

Following a brief police pursuit, Scott Hernandez fled to his home where he activated the remote-controlled garage door opener and entered the garage. Hernandez then tried to close the garage door remotely. Officer Robinson stopped the door from closing. Hernandez remained inside his vehicle and Officer Robinson waited for back-up officers to arrive. Responding backup

The United States Court of Appeals has held that a public employer may not subject all employee speech regarding a particular government program to a blanket ban. The case arose from a dispute regarding the management of the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) canine drug detection unit. Major Tice sent an email to all K9 program

We recently had a client ask us if they could proceed with their disciplinary appeal, if they retired after being fired .Although at one time it was uncertain what would occur in such a situation, recently passed statutes and judicial and administrative decisions have clarified the law in this area. Government Code §20969.3 requires a

The County initiated an investigation focused on Lance Scimeca concerning an alleged violation of a workplace communications policy. Scimeca was placed on administrative leave and directed to stay away from the Sheriff’s Office unless directed to enter by a captain. Scimeca was also given the following order: “You are hereby ordered not to discuss this

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a five-hour detention, even assuming a legitimate reason to detain initially existed, but then dissipated, was too long under the circumstances. The court rejected a claim of qualified immunity related to the detention, meaning that the five-hour detention violated clearly established 4th Amendment rights against unlawful

Police pursuing a suspect in the City of Gardena, employed a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) to the left rear of the suspect’s pickup truck causing it to spin into a streetlight pole. Truck passenger, Mark Gamar, died from injuries he sustained in the crash. Gamar’s mother, Irma Ramirez, filed a wrongful death suit against the

The California Supreme Court’s unanimous decision held that LASO’s “sharing with prosecutors the fact that an officer, who is a potential witness in a pending criminal prosecution, may have relevant exonerating or impeaching material in that officer’s confidential personnel file”, does not violate the Penal Code. Background Under Brady, a prosecutor must disclose to the