Martin J. Mayer

It is with the deep sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Martin J. Mayer on January 30, 2017; simply “Marty” to thousands of you throughout the state and to those of us in the Jones & Mayer family.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please visit his Memorial page.

Martin J. Mayer was a named partner in the firm of Jones & Mayer (J&M) and served as legal counsel to sheriffs and chiefs of police in approximately 70 law enforcement agencies throughout California. He served as General Counsel to the California State Sheriffs’ Association (CSSA), the California Police Chiefs’ Association (CPCA), and the California Peace Officers’ Association (CPOA), and had done so for approximately 30 years. Mr. Mayer focused his practice on providing legal advice, guidance and representation to law enforcement agencies throughout the state and had been acknowledged as an expert in the field of police litigation.

He worked through the chiefs of police or sheriffs and provided on-going legal advice, guidance and representation on all relevant legal issues impacting on the operation of law enforcement agencies. He served as counsel in defending and assisting such agencies when they were sued in state and/or federal court and had represented agencies on appeal issues in various courts of appeal throughout California, as well in the California and United States Supreme Courts.

He was a graduate of the City University of New York and St. John’s University School of Law. He began his professional career in New York City in 1966 as a deputy Public Defender and served in that capacity for five years. Following that he started the first diversion program for drug addicts working with the City of New York Addiction Services Agency.

After relocating to California in 1975 he became the Director of the Criminal Justice Planning Unit for the League of California Cities. In 1980, he entered the private practice of law focusing on issues arising out of law enforcement activity. Mr. Mayer was a graduate of the 6th FBI National Law Institute at Quantico, Virginia (designed for police legal advisors) and was the first attorney in private practice to be invited to participate in the program. He also served for nine years as a POST reserve with the Downey Police Department.

Mr. Mayer wrote and lectured extensively, in California and nationally, on legal issues which impact on law enforcement including, but not limited to, the use of force, pursuits, discipline and due process, public records, personnel files, the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBR), and the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act (FFBOR). He recently co-authored two books — one on POBR and the other on FFBOR. He had been designated and testified as an expert witness, on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, on issues involving POBR.

Mr. Mayer presented seminars on behalf of numerous statewide law enforcement associations, as well as the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). He had served on numerous POST committees as a subject matter expert and had participated in several POST telecourses, which are used for training peace officers throughout the state. Mr. Mayer had also lectured on behalf of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Sheriffs Association (NSA).

He was honored in 2005 with the “Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Peace Officer Training,” which is awarded on behalf of the Governor of California and the POST Commission. Mr. Mayer was also selected as one of southern California’s “Super Lawyers” for the year 2011, in the areas of Government Law, Employment Law, and Police Litigation.