STEVEN W. WELTY Senior Associate Mastagni Holstedt, APC Court Says Dishonesty Is Serious — But Not Automatic Termination for Isolated, Low-Chance-of-Recurrence Cases The California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, issued a ruling on March 3 that delivers meaningful protection to peace officers across the state facing disciplinary charges involving […]
MARIE S. MASTERS Associate Attorney Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) went into effect on January 1, 2022. As of January 1, 2023, employing departments are required to, within 10 days, report any complaint, charge or allegation that could result in an officer’s […]
HARRY S. STERN Managing Principal Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Last month, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case against Richmond Police Officer Eric Smith after a jury voted 11–1 to acquit him. The Honorable John W. Kennedy presided over the trial. The DA […]
PAUL GOYETTE Founder and Managing Partner Goyette, Ruano & Ulmer, Inc. California peace officers are confronting one of the most demanding professional environments in decades. While policing has always required sound judgment, restraint and courage under pressure, recent years have layered additional legal, political and operational challenges onto an already […]
JOHN E.B. MYERS Visiting Professor of Law UC Law San Francisco Efforts to combat racism in the United States span the nation’s history. The post–Civil War amendments to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery (13th Amendment) and guaranteed equal protection of the law (14th Amendment). In 1871, Congress passed Title 42, […]