Police Misconduct Attorney Jerry L. Steering has been suing the police since 1984 for police brutality, false arrests, malicious criminal prosecutions, wrongful deaths and First Amendment retaliation cases. Mr. Steering in an Expert and Specialist in suing the police in federal court for constitutional violations in the City of Taft, throughout Kern County, and throughout the State of California. Mr. Steering has also sued the government as far away as in federal courts in Alabama and in the District of Columbia.
“THE YOUNG LAWYER KNOWS THE LAW, BUT THE OLD LAWYER KNOWS THE JUDGE”.
Mr. Steering’s many years of experience and acquired knowledge can help you maximize your chances of actually winning your Police Misconduct Civil Rights case, and winning is the only thing that matters. If you cannot win your Civil Rights Police Misconduct Lawsuit then you have no rights, because you have no way to enforce them, and a right without a remedy in the real world does not exist.
The Police in Taft are Often Brutal and are Institutionally Dishonest.
Taft, California, is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located 32 miles west-southwest of Bakersfield, with an estimated population of 7,300 residents. It was named for President William Howard Taft in 1909.
The demographics of Taft are 59% White, 2% Black, Hispanic 32%, 7% Other.
Taft has its own police department, located at 320 Commerce Way, Taft, CA 93268. That agency has had their problems with Officer Involved Shootings. See, SWAT Standoff in Taft, 23ABC News | KERO, Man accused of violating restraining order killed in officer-involved shooting on Hwy. 99, FOX 26 News, December 1, 2025; Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Incidents | KCSO, Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
Taft has also had its problems with criminal street gangs. See, KCSO arrests 14 alleged motorcycle gang members, The Midway Dealer, October 11, 2025; CHP Crime Suppression Team in Action, California Highway Patrol’s Post, October 15, 2025; Taft Police activity for August 6-7, The Midway Dealer, August 7, 2025; Multi-agency effort leads to 20 arrests in gang enforcement operation, KBAK FOX58, October 28, 2022; Gangs in Taft California, TikTok; Taft | KCSO, Kern County Sheriff’s Office; Taft, CA crime rates and safety statistics, Nextdoor; 5 Suspects Arrested in Meth Conversion Lab – Taft, CA, July 3, 2025; Two Taft California Hell’s Angels Arrested, Google Groups, Oct 9, 2015; Taft Gang Explained, TikTok.
Most Police Abuse of Civilians in Taft is for “Contempt of Cop”.
As the U.S. Supreme Court has long held that verbal protest and verbal challenge to police orders and actions are constitutionally protected conduct.
In 1987 in striking down a City of Houston, Texas that stated “(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to assault, strike or in any manner oppose, molest, abuse or interrupt any policeman in the execution of his duty, or any person summoned to aid in making an arrest.”, Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennand held:
“The Houston ordinance is much more sweeping than the municipal ordinance struck down in Lewis. It is not limited to fighting words nor even to obscene or opprobrious language, but prohibits speech that “in any manner . . . interrupt[s]” an officer. The Constitution does not allow such speech to be made a crime. The freedom of individuals verbally to oppose or challenge police action without thereby risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state.” City of Houston v. Hill, 482 U.S. 451 (1987)
However, in the real world, in Taft, California, verbal protest or verbal challenge of police orders and actions will deem one to be in “Contempt of Cop”. See, The “Contempt of Cop Game”; How Well Can You Play?, steeringlaw. When that happens, even basically law-abiding good citizen types will be beaten or tased or pepper-sprayed, and thereafter falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted for some fabricated “resistance offense”, such as violation of Cal. Penal Code § 69 (resisting officer with force), Cal. Penal Code § 148(a)(1) (resisting/delaying/obstructing officer), Cal. Penal Code § 240/241 (assault on officer), Cal. Penal Code § 242 / 243(b) & (c) (battery on officer causing injury) and Cal. Penal Code § 245(c) (assault on officer with weapon).
This is not lefty propaganda; this is reality.
IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF POLICE MISCONDUCT, JERRY L. STEERING CAN HELP YOU ACTUALLY ENFORCE YOUR RIGHTS BY WINNING YOUR CASE.
The only thing that matters when enforcing your rights, is whether you win your case. If you don’t win your case, then you have no rights because you have no way to enforce them.
Just because the police violated your constitutional rights doesn’t mean that you can do anything about it. In order to “do something about it”, to enforce your constitutional rights, it takes a great deal of experience, insights, skill and savvy. You need a unanimous jury of usually 8 jurors to vote in your favor in federal court to win your case. If you mouth-off to the cops or don’t do what the police tell you to do or cuss out the cops, or act like a jerk, one or more of the jurors in your case may not vote for you. That is the reality in which we all live.
Mr. Steering’s many years of experience and knowledge in suing the police can help you maximize your chances of winning your Police Misconduct Civil Rights case, and winning is the only thing that matters.
Jerry L. Steering has been suing police agencies for constitutional violations since 1984. He has the experience, insights, skill and savvy to actually win your police misconduct civil rights case, and winning is the only thing that matters. As the old saying goes, “The young lawyer knows the law, but the old lawyer knows the Judge”.
If you are the victim of police misconduct, Jerry L. Steering can help you. Call Jerry L. Steering, Esq. at (949) 474-1849, or email Mr. Steering at jerry@steeringlaw.com .
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