SEAN D. HOWELL Senior Associate Attorney Mastagni Holstedt, APC Sergeant Michael Tassano of the Galt Police Department was reinstated and awarded back pay by the Galt City Council after an advisory arbitration award reversing Chief William Bowen’s decision to terminate the sergeant’s 11-year exemplary career. He returned to work on […]
Category: PORAC LDF News
MICHAEL D. SCHWARTZ, ESQ. Attorney Rains Lucia Stern, PC Digital audio recorders (DARs), dash cams, body-worn cameras and city cameras are currently, or in the near future will be, standard equipment for every peace officer in every jurisdiction. Conversely, cellphones with digital video cameras, digital handheld camcorders, and all forms […]
ALISON BERRY WILKINSON Principal Attorney Berry Wilkinson Law Group I share something in common with San Joaquin Sheriff’s Sergeant William “Billy” Mitchell: Our involvement in his termination appeal began with a simple and all-too-typical phone call. The phone call to me was made by the Legal Defense Fund, started with […]
ANDREW M. DAWSON Partner DAWSON & RILEY, LLP Many have heard that if a department wants to get rid of an officer, it will drum up anything to do so. This case is a perfect example of a department doing just that — removing an officer that it wanted out […]
BILL HADDEN Partner Silver, Hadden, Silver & Levine It was about 7:30 p.m. on the night of December 16, 2011. It was a cool but clear evening, with no precipitation. Kern County Deputy John Swearengin was sitting in the parking lot of a church in the Oildale area of Bakersfield […]