Police 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 Port Hueneme, throughout Ventura 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 POLICE IN PORT HUENEME ARE OFTEN BRUTAL AND ARE INSTITUTIONALLY DISHONEST. The City of Port Hueneme has an estimated population of 23,000, with a racial makeup of 56.9% White, 5.1% African American, 1.4% Native American, 6.0%) Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander and 24.0% from other races and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are 52.3%. Port Hueneme has its own police department, the headquarters for which is located at 250 N. Ventura Road, Port Hueneme, California. Port Hueneme has relatively low numbers of shootings of civilians by Port Hueneme Police Department police officers, notwithstanding significant criminal street gang activity in that city. See, Roundup: 1 shot in Hueneme, 2 arrested in apparent hate crime in T.O., more, Ventura County Star, March 5, 2025. See also, Ventura County is safer than in decades, though crime fears remain, Ventura County Star, May 17, 2024. The last reported Port Hueneme Police Department police officer of a civilian was the September 6, 2013 shooting of Michael Deluca by the Port Hueneme Police Sergeant Chris Graham and Officer Robin Matlock. As it turns out, Michael Deluca was mentally ill and unarmed, and was shot by essentially pointing his finger in a pistol gripping gesture toward the officers. See, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office’s Report on the September 6, 2013 shooting of Michael Deluca by the Port Hueneme Police Sergeant Chris Graham and Officer Robin Matlock. Although most of the residents of Port Hueneme have pleasant experiences with Port Hueneme Police Department police officers, it is not uncommon for completely innocent civilians to be beaten and falsely arrested by Port Hueneme police officers for merely verbally protesting or verbally challenging what appear to them to be unlawful, unreasonable or even outrageous police orders or actions. The United States Constitution protects civilians verbally protest or verbally challenge police orders or actions; conduct commonly referred to in the police profession as “Contempt of Cop“. See, The “Contempt of Cop Game”; How Well Can You Play?, steeringlaw. For example in the landmark case of Houston v. Hill, 482 U.S. 451 (1987) the United States Supreme Court struck down a City of Houston, Texas Municipal Court Ordinance criminalizing interrupting a police officer in the performance of his/her duties. In striking down the Houston ordinance, Justice William Brennan stated in the Court’s Majority opinion: “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.” Notwithstanding the clear language and holding in Houston v. Hill quite often verbally protesting or verbally challenging Port Hueneme Police Department police orders or actions will result in those verbally protesting or verbally challenging Port Hueneme Police Department police orders being beaten or pepper-sprayed or tased, and falsely arrested and thereafter 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 a officer), Cal. Penal Code § 240/241 (assault on officer), Cal. Penal Code § 242 / 243(b) & (c) (battery on an officer causing injury) and Cal. Penal Code § 245(c) (assault on officer with weapon). IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF POLICE MISCONDUCT, JERRY L. STEERING CAN HELP YOU. As 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. FREE CASE EVALUATION
