San Bernardino Civil Rights Lawyer Jerry L. Steering San Bernardino Civil Rights Lawyer Jerry L. Steering has been suing the police since 1984 for civil rights violations such a false arrests, excessive force, malicious criminal prosecutions / frame-ups and other federal and state constitutional violations. There is the fantasy world of the internet, the news media, podcasts, TV, movies and paper publications. Then there is the real world of civil rights lawsuits in federal court against the police. In the real world, it doesn’t matter what the law says about an issue, or what the jury instructions say, or even what the evidence shows, if one suing the police is not going to get 8 mostly white, cop-loving jurors to unanimously vote for you and against the police. The only thing that does matter in a federal court civil rights actions is whether you win the case. If you cannot win a federal civil rights case then you have no rights, because you have no way to enforce those rights, and rights without an enforcement remedy is no right at all. It’s merely a “parchment barrier”. THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT IS ANYTHING BUT HONEST Jerry L. Steering has been suing the police in San Bernardino County since 1986. San Bernardino County has gone through several sheriff’s during Mr. Steering’s tenure in suing that agency; some better, some worse. From 1983 to 1991 Floyd Tidwell was the elected Sheriff of San Bernardino County. Known as a “Cowboy Sheriff”, Sheriff Tidwell basically let his deputies run wild, and beat-up, shoot, falsely arrest and procure the malicious prosecutions of just about anyone who “failed the attitude test”; especially Mexican – Americans. He also was quite a gun collector. In 2004, Sheriff Tidwell pleaded guilty to stealing 523 guns from evidence from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. See, “Ex-Sheriff Admits Guilt on Stolen Property Charges“, Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2004. San Bernardino County has gone through several sheriffs since Floyd Tidwell ruled the County, with the current elected Sheriff of San Bernardino County being Shannon D. Dicus. For many years while other police agencies were installing patrol video systems in the patrol cars, or were equipping their officers and deputies with Body Worn Camera video recorders, San Bernardino County resisted doing so. Finally, in 2024, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department issued Body Worn Camera’s to some of its deputy sheriffs. However, when the deputies beat you up or falsely arrest you, don’t expect to obtain a Body Worn Camera video recording of the incident, as they will either “lose” the recording, or claim that the device was not recording. People who believe that cops are basically honest people with a tough job and a few bad apples really are living in a fantasy world. Most of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s deputy sheriffs would make nice drinking partners or even friends, but none of them, none, will rat-out a fellow deputy sheriff. When they do you dirty, don’t expect the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to give you the evidence showing just that. MR. STEERING SUING THE POLICE IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY Some of Mr. Steering’s San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and City Police cases are: Lopez v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2002), $50,000.00 settlement for racially motivated battery; Miller v. City of San Bernardino, et al, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2003), $35,000.00 settlement for unlawful detention; Calderon v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2003), $115,000.00 settlement for false arrest and illegal search; Arroyo v. City of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2004), $125,000.00 settlement for unreasonable seizure of person; Ford v. County of San Bernardino, (2007), $80,000.00 settlement for excessive force; In re Jane Doe v. County of San Bernardino, et al., (2008), $290,000.00 settlement (prior to filing lawsuit) for sexually motivated mistreatment of arrestee; Aubrey v. County of San Bernardino, et. al, U.S. Dist. Court (LA) 2012, $325,000.00 settlement for the use of unreasonable force and for false arrest; and Jones v. County of San Bernardino, et al.; $170,000.00 U.S. Dist. Court (LA) settlement for unreasonable seizure of person. If you have been the victim of Police Misconduct in San Bernardino County, Jerry L. Steering can help you. Suing the Police Since 1984. Tel: (949) 474-1849; email: jerry@steeringlaw.com FREE CASE EVALUATION
