Hello PORAC,

Labor Day is upon us and on this holiday, we pay tribute to all American workers. Protecting and serving our communities is labor in its most noble form. A heartfelt thank you to all who serve, but especially those laboring on this Labor Day to keep everyone safe.

LDF Achieves Overturned Convictions

Nothing about this Summer was uneventful at PORAC LDF and we saw some notable courtroom success for our cops. One of PORAC LDF’s longest-running court cases is finally coming to an end. Three California correctional officers were convicted in 2017 for the death of an inmate under their care. They were each sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. However, over the course of nearly a decade fighting for these officers, we have finally won the officers’ release from prison following a series of post-conviction appeals, which included two visits to the California Supreme Court. The entirety of the cases for each of the three officers, through the appeals process, was funded by PORAC LDF. The District Attorney decided not to have a new trial and instead allowed all three officers to enter plea deals for a lesser crime. The deals are expected to result in no additional time, given their credits for time served. Sentencing is scheduled for October. The results return the officers to their families and bring this case to a conclusion at long last.

Watch Video

This following video explains the case in greater detail:

Defense Costs for LDF

In another case further north, in Washington State, PORAC LDF funded the defense of a sheriffs’ deputy charged with assault while on duty. Not only did the jury acquit our LDF participant, but in an unusual move (following an unusual Washington law that should be used as an example for other states), the judge awarded costs of the defense to LDF, meaning LDF will be reimbursed for the funds spent on defending the officer in this case. This is a hopeful outcome that could signal that the tide is turning nationally for law enforcement, in general.

Washington Post OIS Database

Another sign the tide is turning was an interesting article that came out in the middle of August. The article, re-published here, calls out the often-cited Washington Post Database on police shootings for what it is – not an indicator or anything. I can’t count the number of times the numbers in this database have been cited to me in the last few years. Finally, there is an effort at context. Law enforcement has thousands of interactions with the public each day, and the number that end sadly in death or injury is minimal. People need to apply common sense to the statistics, and this article explains why. And, there are real impacts to real people with such anti law enforcement rhetoric. No less than the New York Times reported this month on the huge decrease in traffic enforcement. That article is below.

Fact-Checking a Police Data Base

Fatal Force tool can be useful, but its mistakes reinforce a false narrative

Why Car Stops are Down

Traffic enforcement dwindled in the Pandemic. In many places, it hasn't come back.

Read Article

Officers Using AI

Another recent article that piqued my interest was an AP story about cops using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to write reports. While faster, and no doubt easier, the open question is: Will those AI-generated reports hold up in court. It is an unanswered question at this point, but no doubt it will be part of an LDF case someday soon.

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Watch out for one another and stay safe.

Barry Donelan

Chair

PORAC LDF Trust

ldfchair@poracldf.org

(209) 774-5600 | ldf@poracldf.org | www.poracldf.org

(R) PEACE OFFICERS RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA LEGAL DEFENSE FUND AND DESIGN USED UNDER LICENSE.