California Court of Appeal Rules that Return to a Former Position from Promotional Probation Does Not Trigger POBRA Appeal Rights

By Katy A. Suttorp Although quite broad, the scope of personnel actions covered under the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (“POBRA”) does have some statutory limits.  At issue in Conger v. County of Los Angeles was the exclusion in Section 3304(b) of “denial of promotion on grounds other than merit” from the…

Martinez v. Stratton O’Hara: What you say (to the Court of Appeal) can and will be used against you

By Brian I. Hamblet In Martinez v. Stratton O’Hara et al. decided on February 28, 2019, the California Court of Appeal (Fourth Appellate District) concluded that the “Plaintiff’s attorney committed misconduct on appeal, including manifesting gender bias” in his comments about the trial court judge (which included calling the female judge’s actions “succubustic”) and reported…

When Words Alone Constitute Severe and Pervasive Harassment

The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me” may apply in Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment cases, but it doesn’t work in FEHA harassment claims. In Augustine Caldera v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Fourth Appellate District recently issued a published opinion finding…

Summary Judgment Is Granted Based On Principles Of Qualified Immunity

On May 18, 2018, in Michael Easley v. City of Riverside, Sergio Diaz and Silvio Macias, the California Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s sua sponte[1] grant of summary judgment in favor of police officers who shot plaintiff three times following a traffic stop. While the police officers did not move for summary judgment,…

For Whom the Statute of Limitation Tolls: California Court of Appeal Rules that Statutory Tolling for Incarcerated Persons Does Not Apply to Detainees in County Jail

It is well known that a plaintiff must bring his claim before the statute of limitations expires.  Under Code of Civil Procedure section 352.1, this statutory deadline may be extended—or tolled—for two years for plaintiffs who are “imprisoned on a criminal charge.”   In a matter of first impression, the California Court of Appeal in Austin…