JONES & MAYER VICTORIES

Jones & Mayer was successful in defending significant challenges leveled against two very disparate clients. In the first case, Jacobs et al v. Regents of the University of California, we successfully defended against a petition for a writ of mandate.  In the second case, People v. Carson et al, we were successful in deflecting an attempt to have Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson held in contempt for refusing to obey an order issued by the Superior Court.

In Jacobs et al v. University of California we argued on behalf of the Regents of the University of California against the issuance of a writ petition in L.A. Superior Court.  The petitioners are two former UC police officers who were injured on duty and received a medical separation. However, under the University of California Retirement Program (UCRP) there is no classification of “Disability Retirement,” although those officers receive Duty Disability Income (DDI), tax free.  Their petition called upon the University to classify them as being retired officers and to issue them ID cards and the right to carry concealed weapons (CCW).  The court stated that “The Regents are not required to offer disability retirement to their officers, and they have not provided for one here. Instead, they established a DDI program that provides a disabled officer with financial benefits but is not a ‘disability retirement.’”  Since they are not retired peace officers they are not eligible for an ID card or CCW endorsement.

In People v. Carson et al  eight persons are charged with murder and/or conspiracy to commit murder.  It is a very notorious case involving, in part, a well known local criminal defense attorney, his wife, and two CHP officers, among others. Pursuant to the safety and security policy of the Stanislaus County Sheriff, all high risk inmates (which includes those charged with murder) must be shackled when out of their cell, even when meeting with their counsel.  A superior court judge, without any hearing, ordered the Sheriff to partially unshackle these inmates when they met with their attorneys or the attorney’s investigators.
We immediately filed an emergency writ petition with the Court of Appeal seeking, among other things, an immediate stay on the “interim order,” which was denied within a few days.  During that time, however, the Sheriff did order his personnel to not unshackle the defendants.  As a result, they sought an OSC re. Contempt which we successfully argued against.