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 Shafter, throughout Kern 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’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. A right without a real-world remedy (i.e. winning your case) is no right at all; at least for you. It doesn’t matter what the law states, or what the Judge says, or what the jury instructions say, or even what the evidence shows, if a jury of 8 cop-loving jurors is not going to unanimously vote for you in your federal court Police Misconduct Civil Rights case. As the old saying goes, “The young lawyer knows the law, but the old lawyer knows the Judge” and Mr. Steering’s understanding the technical and practical legal landscape of Police Misconduct Civil Rights cases will dramatically increase your chances of winning your case; of actually enforcing your constitutional rights. THE POLICE IN SHAFTER ARE OFTEN BRUTAL AND ARE INSTITUTIONALLY DISHONEST. Shafter is a city in Kern County, California with an estimated population of 24,000. Shafter is located 18 miles west-northwest of Bakersfield; the County Seat of Kern County and the largest City in Kern County. Shafter has its own police department, located at 336 Pacific Avenue, Shafter, California. The demographics of Shafter is 80% Hispanic, 16% White, 1% Black, 1% Asian and 2% other races. Notwithstanding the rural location of the City of Shafter, that city has its problems with criminal street gangs. See, Internal gang battle in Shafter leaves 1 dead, 4 hurt, Bakersfield.com, September 14, 2016; Shafter police arrest teenager after shooting on South Mannel Ave, KGET 17 NBC News, March 12, 2025; Gangs blamed for shootings, The Shafter Press, October 27, 2022; 31 Gang Members and Associates of Mexican Mafia Charged in Racketeering Indictment, U.S. Department of Justice, April 27, 2022; Shafter Ca Gangs, TikTok; Court documents reveal Shafter shooting was most likely gang related, KBAK FOX 58 News, February 28, 2023 Moreover, Shafter has also has its own problems with its police department shooting civilians. See, Questions raised after officer-involved shooting in Shafter, KBAK FOX 58 News, April 16, 2015; See also, Shafter Police Dept. Officer-Involved Shooting of Jesus Ponce on September 2, 2021, Kern County District Attorney’s Office, August 5, 2022; Shafter Police identify officers involved in shooting of suspect, 23ABC News, September 3, 2021; Officer involved shooting in Shafter injures one man, 23ABC News; Shafter officer involved in second shooting this year, Bakersfield.com, September 13, 2016; Parent reacts to shooting in Shafter, 23ABC News | KERO; Shafter police shoot trafficking suspect, The Bakersfield Californian, Updated Sep 12, 2016. Because Shafter Police Department police officers have to deal with criminal street gangsters on a daily basis, many of them become so jaded that they treat basically law-abiding civilians like street criminals. When that happens, the basically law-abiding civilians are now deemed to be in “Contempt of Cop” when they verbally protest or verbally challenge Shafter Police Department orders and actions, such as ordering them to exit their vehicles, or be subjected to searches of their persons or vehicles, or being ordered to prone themselves down on the street, or being handcuffed, all for de minimis traffic violations. Verbal protest or verbal challenge to Shafter Police Department orders and actions has long been held to be constitutionally protected conduct. See U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice William Brennan so eloquently held in striking down a Houston, Texas Municipal Ordinance that criminalized interrupting a police officer in the performance of his/her duties: “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, notwithstanding that long held right to verbal protest or verbal challenge to police actions and orders, doing so in Shafter will often result in the civilian being beaten or tased or pepper-sprayed, and being falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted for some imaginary and 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. 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
