JLS in Courtroom cropped 2Police Misconduct Attorney Jerry L. Steering has been suing the police since 1984 for police brutality, false arrests, malicious criminal prosecutions 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 Dana Point, throughout Orange County, and throughout the State of California. Mr. Steering has also sued the government as far away as in federal court in Alabama and in the District of Columbia.

Mr. Steering 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.

As the old saying goes, “The young lawyer knows the law, but the old lawyer knows the Judge”.

THE LAGUNA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS OFTEN A BRUTAL AND INHERENTLY DISHONEST POLICE AGENCY.

Laguna Beach is a picture postcard beautiful city in South Orange County, California. Laguna Beach has historically been the home of many famous artists, and to this day has streets filled with beautiful art galleries. Laguna Beach is also a favorite tourist spot and is one of the most beautiful towns in California.

Laguna Beach also has had a reputation for being a very liberal community, with a town filled with and quite expensive hillside custom homes. One would think that in such a beautiful and liberal seaside community that the police would be professional and respectful of the public. However, that is not always the case in Laguna Beach.

As Lord Ashton stated to Bishop Creighton in 1887: “Power Tends to Corrupt, And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”. In 1968 in Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968, for the first time in the history of the American Republic the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the police to detain and frisk persons on less than probable cause to arrest them. Terry v. Ohio was an 8-1 decision, made in the wake of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968, and 4 days after the murder of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on June 6, 1968.

In his sole Dissenting Opinion, Associate Justice William O. Douglas stated:

“The infringement on personal liberty of any ‘seizure’ of a person can only be ‘reasonable’ under the Fourth Amendment if we require the police to possess ‘probable cause’ before they seize him. Only that line draws a meaningful distinction between an officer’s mere inkling and the presence of facts within the officer’s personal knowledge which would convince a reasonable man that the person seized has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a particular crime . . . To give the police greater power than a magistrate is to take a long step down the totalitarian path.”

Unfortunately, that awesome power that the police now possess has gone to the heads of many of the officers of the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Mr. Steering won his first jury verdict against the Laguna Beach Police Department back in 1987 in In re L.K. v. City of Laguna Beach, U.S. District Court (Los Angeles) (1986), Mr. Steering proved that the Laguna Beach PD mace policy was unconstitutional, and that it resulted in the unconstitutional use of mace by Laguna Beach Police Department Officer Ron Sapp.

In Hands v. City of Laguna Beach, U.S. District Court (Los Angeles) (1990) Mr. Steering obtained a $137,500.00 settlement, for false arrest and excessive force for Laguna Beach Police Department officers false arrest and malicious prosecution of a Laguna Beach lawyer. See, Laguna City Manager Urges Settlement in Couple’s Arrest Suit. Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1990.

In Elisha Torrance v. City of Laguna Beach, U.S. District Court (Los Angeles) (2010) Mr. Steering obtained a $380,000.00 settlement in a case against the Laguna Beach Police Department for excessive force and false arrest. See, “Man stunned by deputies in his bedroom gets $380,000″, Orange County Register, November 19, 2010.

IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF POLICE MISCONDUCT, JERRY L. STEERING CAN HELP YOU.

Screen Capture from LA ABC 7 Interview of JLS on Jovan Jimenez caseAs the old saying goes, “The young lawyer knows the law, but the old lawyer knows the Judge”. 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.

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.

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.

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 .

Screen Capture of Jerry Steering on CNNFREE CASE EVALUATION