JLS in Courtroom cropped 2Police Misconduct Attorney Jerry L. Steering has been suing the police since 1984 in Big Bear, California and throughout the State of California for Excessive Force / Police Brutality, False Arrests, Malicious Prosecutions and Wrongful Deaths. Mr. Steering is an Expert and Specialist in Suing the Police in federal court; the place where almost all Police Misconduct Civil Rights cases get tried.

Mr. Steering is a published legal author on topics such as the Federal Rules of Evidence. See, Accomplice Accusations in the Criminal Process – The Application of Sixth Amendment Tests for the Reliability of Hearsay Evidence to Probable Cause Determinations – 16 Rutgers L.J. (1984-1985). He is also a Trial Attorney, Specializing in Suing state and local police officers in California, and especially in San Bernardino County.

The City of Big Bear California contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for its police services. Until recent times there was a small San Bernardino County Courthouse in Big Bear, where the local Judges would literally let the deputies in the Big Bear to Lake Arrowhead area run wild; to do whatever they wanted to do, no matter how badly they trounced on the rights of the public.

Now, criminal cases from the Big Bear to Lake Arrowhead area get adjudicated in downtown San Bernardino, where the local Sheriff’s Department deputies from the Big Bear area have less political influence on criminal cases.

JERRY L. STEERING HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUING THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SINCE 1986.

Mr. Steering also has been suing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department since 1986. He has a long successful track record of suing that agency for excessive force, false arrests and malicious criminal prosecutions;

Examples of Mr. Steering’s San Bernardino County Police Misconduct Cases:

Here are a few examples of cases that Mr. Steering has won against the Sheriff Department; an agency that has literally gone off of the deep end in the High Desert / Victor Valley area.

The Fontana Police Department is one of the most brutal and corrupt police agencies in Southern California; among the worst. They beat and falsely arrest innocents just about every day for mere failure to immediately comply with their orders or for verbal protests of the same. Mr. Steering has been suing the Fontana Police Department and other police agencies in Southern California since the mid 1980s.

Here are some examples of Mr. Steering’s San Bernardino County cases:

Screen Capture of Jerry Steering on CNNThomas Perez, Jr. v. City of Fontana: In 2024 Mr. Steering obtained $900,000.00 from the City of Fontana for Fontana Police Using “Psychological Torture” an innocent man to confess to killing his father. See, Fontana Police “Psychologically Tortured” Man to Falsely Confess to Killing His Father.

Thomas Perez, Jr. lawyer, Jerry L. Steering commented: ““In my 40 years of suing the police I have never seen that level of deliberate cruelty by the police,”  . . . “After what I saw on the video of what they did to him, I now know that the police can get [anyone] to confess to killing Abe Lincoln.” See, Police pressured him to confess to a murder that never happened. Now, Fontana will pay him $900,000, Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2024.

In Margaret Alba v. City of Barstow, et al.; U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) Mr. Steering obtained $1,150,000.00 for a wrongful police shooting.

In Morgan v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) Mr. Steering obtained $714,000.00 settlement following a plaintiff’s jury verdict for excessive force and false arrest during search warrant execution in Apple Valley, California.

In Austin v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Riverside) Mr. Steering obtained a $500,000.00 jury verdict for false arrest and excessive force.

In Lopez v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2002), Mr. Steering obtained a $50,000.00 settlement for a racially motivated battery;

In Miller v. City of San Bernardino, et al, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2003) Mr. Steering obtained a $35,000.00 settlement for unlawful detention.

In Calderon v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2003), Mr. Steering obtained a $115,000.00 settlement for false arrest and illegal search.

In Arroyo v. City of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2004) Mr. Steering obtained $125,000.00 settlement for unreasonable seizure of person.

In Ford v. County of San Bernardino, (2007), Mr. Steering obtained an $80,000.00 settlement from the County for excessive force.

In In re Jane Doe v. County of San Bernardino, et al., (2008), Mr. Steering obtained a $290,000.00 settlement (prior to filing lawsuit) for sexually motivated mistreatment of arrestee.

In Aubrey v. County of San Bernardino, et. al, U.S. Dist. Court (LA) 2012, Mr. Steering obtained a $325,000.00 settlement for the use of unreasonable force and for false arrest.

In Jones v. County of San Bernardino, et al.; Mr. Steering obtained a $170,000.00 U.S. Dist. Court (LA) settlement for unreasonable seizure of person.

In Penny Trent v. County of San Bernardino, et al., U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside), Mr. Steering obtained a $600,000.00 settlement for unreasonable seizure of person.

In David Scott v. County of San Bernardino, et al; Mr. Steering obtained a $390,000.00 settlement after winning case on appeal to the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In Tommy Mark Franks, Jr. v. County of San Bernardino, et al.; et al; U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Santa Ana) Mr. Steering obtained $500,000.00 following successful plaintiff’s jury verdict for false arrest.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY IS STILL A HOTBED OF POLICE MISCONDUCT.

Although San Bernardino County is not nearly as heavily populated as other areas in Southern California, the “crime rate” of crimes and Constitutional Torts committed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is astounding. It seems that San Bernardino County is the hotbed for “cops gone wild.” These deputies are simply out of control, and nobody is going to do anything about; at least anybody from the Sheriff’s Department, or the Judges of the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

If you are the victim of police misconduct, and want to sue the police, or, if you are being charged with a resistance offense, such as Resisting Arrest or Battery on a Peace Officer, we can help you. Call Jerry L. Steering at (949) 474-1849 or email Mr. Steering at jerry@steeringlaw.com.

See also, What To Do If You Have Been Beaten-Up or Falsely Arrested By The Police.

Screen Capture from LA ABC 7 Interview of JLS on Jovan Jimenez caseFree Case Evaluation

Serving the Following Cities in San Bernardino County: