What To Do If You Have Been Beaten-Up or Falsely Arrested By The Police?

by Jerry L. Steering, Esq.

Some police officers really do bad things to people who don't deserve it. If the police get a call from your neighbor because you are arguing loudly with your spouse, don't be surprised if you find the police banging on your door, demanding warrantless entry into your home, and then detaining and handcuffing you. The officers will then do a "protective sweep" of your house, 4th Amendment be damned. When you object to their handcuffing and detaining you, you have now committed “contempt of cop”. Don't be surprised if you are then beaten, tased or pepper sprayed, and taken to jail. Once the police cross that line and use force upon you, you are going to jail for some fabricated “resistance offense”; especially when they toss-in a few choice lies. After all, if a police officer used force upon you, how would it look if he/she just let you go? Accordingly, the police arrest you and procure your malicious criminal prosecution, to shift the blame from them to you; for them having to use force upon you because you committed some imaginary “resistance offense”. The police are not legal scholars, but they are taught from day one that if you are convicted of such a “resistance offense”, you are now usually legally “precluded” from suing the police for their outrages perpetrated against you. Because your local Courts and District Attorneys are more than happy to help protect the police from you, by prosecuting you for some imaginary resistance offense, here is what you need to know if you are a victim of police misconduct.

What To Do If You Have Been Beaten-Up or Falsely Arrested By The Police?

by Jerry L. Steering, Esq.

Some police officers really do bad things to people who don't deserve it. When the police use excessive force on civilians or otherwise violate their constitutional rights, they routinely arrest them for some imaginary “resistance offense”; crimes that are so vague, that the police can always claim that a totally innocent person somehow “resisted” or “delayed” or “obstructed” them in the performance of their duties; California Penal Code Section 148(a)(1). Moreover, these days, if the police use substantial force upon an innocent, they arrest him/her for California Penal Code Section 69; resisting officer with force / violence; a felony. Accordingly, the police falsely arrest their victims, and procure their malicious criminal prosecutions, to shift the blame from them to their victim, for committing some crimes, that caused the officer to have to use force upon them. Moreover, the Court and your local District Attorney will be more than happy to assist the violating police officers beat you down with a bogus criminal “resistance offense” case, to get you to plead out, to preclude you from suing the police. This is the real world. If you have been the victim of police misconduct, here is what you need to do . . .

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Police Misconduct Attorney

The most common reason for the police to beat you, falsely arrest you and procure your malicious criminal prosecution for a “Resistance Offense”, is when you “Fail the Attitude Test”; when you commit “Contempt of Cop”. “Contempt of Cop” is simply a civilian verbally questioning, challenging or protesting police actions. They procure your bogus criminal prosecution to shift the blame from them to you for their use of force upon you. Mr. Steering is an expert & specialist in defending bogus criminal “Contempt of Cop” (i.e. resisting arrest, battery on peace officer) cases, and in suing police officers for “Contempt of Cop” / "Bruised Ego" constitutional violations such as:

  • Excessive Force / Police Brutality
  • False Arrest (Cal. Penal Code §§ 69, 148(a)(1), 243(b))
  • Malicious Prosecution
  • First Amendment Whistle Blower Violations

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Good Morning America

Interview:
Jerry L. Steering with Diane Sawyer

Police Lawsuit Awards & Settlements

  • Penaloza v. City of Anaheim, U.S. District Court (Orange County); $2,900,000.00 settlement for excessive force
  • Gomez v. County of Orange, et al., U.S. Dist. Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles), $2,163,799.53, settlement for unreasonable force [wrongful death] of convicted jail inmate
  • Sharp v. City of Garden Grove, Orange County Superior Court, $1,010,000.00 (jury verdict) for excessive force and false arrest;.
  • Moore, et al. v. City of Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County Superior Court, $825,000.00 (trial settlement) for excessive force and false arrest;.
  • Winger v. City of Garden Grove, U.S. District Court (Orange County); $800,000.00 jury verdict $800,000.00 for false arrest;.
  • Swaine v. City of Torrance; U.S. District Court (L.A.); $750,000.00 settlement for painting swastika on car;.
  • Butano v. County of Orange; U.S. District Court (L.A.); $727,500.00 final settlement for false arrest and unreasonable force;.
  • Jimenez v. County of San Diego, U.S. District Court (San Diego); $500,000.00 settlement for excessive force.
  • Montano v. USA; U.S. District Court (L.A.) 2015; $500,000.00 for wrongful death of dialysis patient.

Jerry L. Steering


Civil Rights Lawyer Specializing in Police Misconduct and Criminal Defense; Suing Police Officers and Others for Violating Your Federal Constitutional Rights. Make the wrong step and you are out. We know where to step.

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Chained official in prison with briefcase and coffee mug in hands desperatly trying to break free. Illustration of stressed and desperat working man where´s work feel lika prison. Break free, break chains and yearn for freedom or better work.

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Police Misconduct litigation is very complicated. The law in this area is complex, confusing and takes many years of litigation and appellate experience to ferret out which cases are likely to prevail in court, and which ones probably will not. The law is not what the average citizen might expect, and new and expanded immunities for police officers and other government officials are growing exponentially.

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