Deputy K. W. Klaver began his unblemished career with the Santa Clara County Sheriffs’ Department on July 4, 1983. He had experienced several run-ins with the present sheriff, Laurie Smith, on several occasions, dating back to 1990, when now Sheriff Smith was the assistant sheriff. The first difficulty was when […]
Posted by Christopher W. Miller, Esq. The PORAC Legal Defense Fund and PORAC have joined as amicus curiae in an appeal to the California Supreme Court from a lower court decision disclosing a 10-year-old finding of dishonesty against a peace officer to a criminal defendant in a Pitchess proceeding. The […]
On June 13, 2001, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals restored the right of California peace officers to defend their good names in the face of defamatory complaints filed against them. The court unanimously upheld the right of Long Beach Police Officer Gordon Collier to bring suit against a complaining […]
Posted by Craig Mehrens I recently completed the representation of James Contreras, of the Phoenix PD in a criminal case. He was videotaped, allegedly throwing someone down the stairs at the Fiesta Latino in Phoenix. He was also charged with authorizing a false police report concerning the incident and thereafter […]
Posted by Sanford A. Toyen These days, there are few (if any) law enforcement agencies that fail to recognize the right of peace officers to an administrative appeal of punitive action. However, many agencies (and courts) often fail to recognize that when an officer is a permanent employee (as opposed […]