WILLIAM C. BAIRD Associate Mastagni Holstedt, APC In disciplinary matters, peace officers often find themselves navigating a process where the deck appears stacked against them from the start. When employers rush to judgment, critical missteps can undermine fairness and due process, leaving officers to fight uphill battles to clear their […]
JULIA D. FOX Partner Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC In 2022, Brandon Nail worked patrol, was an FTO and worked on the CSI team for the San Rafael Police Department. He had no previous discipline. Since the beginning of this case, it was obvious, even through the […]
JAMES A. SHORE AND ALEXANDER J. BUKAC Partners Messing Adam & Jasmine, LLP In December 2024, the Alameda Superior Court dismissed criminal charges against Alameda Police Officer Eric McKinley arising out of the 2021 in-custody death of Mario Gonzales Arenales. McKinley’s dismissal, which follows the dismissal of two other officers […]
DAVID E. MASTAGNI Partner Mastagni Holstedt, APC On May 1, 2024, Judge Christopher E. Krueger of the Sacramento County Superior Court issued a permanent injunction against the state of California, prohibiting the state, attorney general and Department of Justice (DOJ) from enforcement of RIPA’s gender disclosure requirements set forth in […]
BRETT RUTKOWSKI Attorney Ferrone Law Group Most employees have heard about the pre-disciplinary process, commonly referred to as a Skelly hearing. Before the discipline becomes effective, an employee is statutorily offered the right to challenge the discipline at a hearing before a decision-maker, which is usually the chief, city manager […]