Charged with a crime or under investigation as a law enforcement officer in Los Angeles County? You may face criminal charges or administrative proceedings that put your career, peace officer certification, pension, and freedom at risk. Whether you are a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy, a city police officer, a campus officer, a probation officer, a correctional officer, or any other peace officer employed anywhere in Los Angeles County, a criminal charge or sustained administrative investigation can end everything you have worked for in this profession.
At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we provide dedicated, aggressive criminal defense representation for law enforcement officers and peace officers throughout all of Los Angeles County. We understand the unique legal landscape that officers face—the intersection of criminal law, administrative procedure, California’s Peace Officers Bill of Rights (POBR), and the devastating career consequences that follow even an unjust accusation. We are bilingual—hablamos español—and we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because when you get the call that changes everything, you need an attorney who answers.
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Accused of excessive force, misconduct, DUI, domestic violence, or any other crime as a peace officer in Los Angeles County? You’re not just facing the same criminal justice system you have worked within your entire career—you’re facing it from the other side, under public scrutiny, with your employer, your union, and potentially the media all watching. The stakes are fundamentally different from those facing a civilian defendant, and your defense strategy must account for every dimension of the consequences you face.
Law enforcement officers in Los Angeles County who are criminally charged or under administrative investigation face consequences that ordinary defendants do not:
Criminal conviction can result in immediate termination and permanent disqualification from law enforcement employment anywhere in California. A felony conviction prohibits you from possessing firearms under both California and federal law—ending your career in law enforcement automatically. Even a misdemeanor conviction involving moral turpitude can result in termination and POST (Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training) decertification. Your name may be placed on a prosecutorial disclosure list—commonly called a “Brady list”—that can destroy your effectiveness as a witness and effectively end your usefulness in any law enforcement role. Your pension rights may be jeopardized. The civil liability exposure for your agency—and potentially for you personally—is significant.
These stakes demand a defense attorney who understands not just criminal law, but the administrative law, employment law, and peace officer rights framework that governs law enforcement careers in California. At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we bring that comprehensive understanding to every case we handle for law enforcement clients in Los Angeles County.
Police officers also face internal affairs investigations that run parallel to criminal cases. Statements made during administrative interviews can have serious implications if not handled strategically. Officers must navigate complex procedures under the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, departmental policies, and union representation rules while protecting their rights in any potential criminal prosecution.
Additionally, the political and public climate surrounding law enforcement in Los Angeles County can intensify scrutiny. Allegations involving officers often attract attention from supervisors, city officials, prosecutors, and sometimes the media. This environment can create pressure on agencies and prosecutors that influences how cases are investigated and pursued. A defense strategy must anticipate these pressures while protecting the officer’s legal rights and professional future.
Effective representation also requires a thorough understanding of use-of-force policies, report writing practices, body-worn camera evidence, and departmental protocols. Actions taken during an arrest or field encounter must be evaluated within the real-world context of police work—split-second decision-making, officer safety considerations, and compliance with department training standards.
For officers, the goal of a defense strategy is not only to fight the criminal allegations but also to protect the ability to continue working in law enforcement whenever possible. Every decision—from early case investigation to negotiations with prosecutors—must account for potential impacts on certification, employment status, and long-term career prospects. That level of protection requires legal counsel experienced in defending those who have dedicated their careers to enforcing the law.
Charged with assault under color of authority or resisting an executive officer in Los Angeles County? You’re facing criminal statutes that were designed specifically with law enforcement officers in mind—and that prosecutors in Los Angeles County pursue aggressively in the current climate of heightened scrutiny of law enforcement conduct. Whether the allegation involves use of force, an off-duty incident, a DUI arrest, a domestic violence allegation, or any other criminal charge, every element of the prosecution’s case must be challenged with precision and force.
Pena[1]l[1] Code § 149[1] makes it a misdemeanor for any public officer to assault or beat any person without lawful necessity under color of authority. Although § 149 is technically a misdemeanor, a conviction results in career-ending consequences for a peace officer—termination, POST decertification, and permanent disqualification. Prosecutors in Los Angeles County use § 149 in cases involving allegations of excessive force that do not rise to the level of felony assault.
Penal Code § 69[2] makes it a wobbler offense to attempt to deter or prevent an executive officer from performing a duty of their office, or to knowingly resist an executive officer. This statute is sometimes used in situations involving off-duty officers, or in situations where the boundaries of lawful authority are disputed. We examine every allegation under § 69 for the actual facts of the encounter and the applicable law governing officer conduct.
Beyond these officer-specific statutes, law enforcement officers in Los Angeles County are charged under the same criminal statutes that apply to civilians—including Penal Code § 245[3] (assault with a deadly weapon), Penal Code § 422[4] (criminal threats), Penal Code § 273.5[5] (corporal injury to spouse or cohabitant), Vehicle Code § 23152[6] (DUI), and others. For officers, these charges carry the additional layer of career-ending professional consequences that must be factored into every aspect of the defense strategy.
Facing an Internal Affairs (IA) investigation or departmental administrative proceeding in Los Angeles County? You have rights that many officers do not fully understand—and that departments do not always honor. California’s Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBRA), codified at Government Code §§ 3300–3313[7], establishes a comprehensive set of procedural rights protecting peace officers during investigations and disciplinary proceedings.
Under POBRA, you have the right to be informed of the nature of the investigation before any interrogation. You have the right to representation during any interrogation—and you should exercise that right. You have the right to be free from coercive interrogation tactics. You have the right to receive notice of proposed disciplinary action before it is imposed. You have the right to respond to disciplinary charges before discipline is imposed. You have the right to appeal disciplinary decisions through the process established by your agency’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) or through the Civil Service Commission.
POBRA rights are not self-enforcing. Departments—even in Los Angeles County—sometimes violate POBRA procedural requirements, whether intentionally or through error. When POBRA violations occur, they can provide grounds to challenge the administrative investigation, suppress evidence obtained in violation of your rights, and potentially invalidate disciplinary action taken against you.
At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we scrutinize every aspect of how the investigation against you was conducted. If your POBRA rights were violated, we use those violations aggressively in your defense—both in the administrative proceeding and, where applicable, in the criminal proceeding.
Accused of excessive use of force as a law enforcement officer in Los Angeles County? You’re facing the most politically charged and publicly scrutinized category of officer misconduct allegation—a category where media coverage, community pressure, and prosecutorial ambition can override objective legal analysis of what actually happened in a rapidly evolving, high-stress situation. Whether the allegation involves a use of force during an arrest, a foot pursuit, a vehicle stop, a search warrant service, or any other law enforcement operation, we fight to ensure that the full context of your decision-making is presented and understood.
California law governing use of force by peace officers was significantly revised by Assembly Bill 392 (AB 392), effective January 1, 2020, now codified at Penal Code § 835a[8]. Under the current standard, a peace officer may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, that such force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person.
The “totality of the circumstances” standard requires consideration of everything that was known to the officer at the moment force was used—not what became clear afterward. We retain use-of-force experts, review all available body-worn camera footage and dashcam recordings, examine the scene, analyze the suspect’s conduct, and reconstruct the timeline of events to present the complete picture of your split-second decision.
The Los Angeles Police Department[9] and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department[10] each have their own use-of-force policies, training standards, and administrative investigation procedures. We are familiar with both agencies’ policies and procedures, and we apply that knowledge to your defense.
Use-of-force cases involving officer-involved shootings (OIS) are investigated by both the relevant law enforcement agency and—in Los Angeles County—by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office[11] through its Justice System Integrity Division (JSID)[12]. We engage with the DA’s review process strategically to protect our clients’ interests from the earliest stages.
Facing potential inclusion in California’s statewide officer misconduct database? Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), signed into law and effective January 1, 2022, fundamentally changed the legal landscape for California peace officers facing misconduct allegations. Understanding what SB 2 does—and how it affects your case—is critical.
Prior to SB 2, POST’s[13] authority to decertify officers was limited to narrow circumstances. SB 2 dramatically expanded that authority, giving POST the power to investigate and decertify officers for sustained findings involving dishonesty, excessive force, sexual assault, bias-based policing, and other serious misconduct—even when no criminal conviction results. SB 2 also established the California Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division (POSAD) within POST to handle decertification proceedings.
Under SB 2, POST is required to establish and maintain a public database of officers who have been decertified. Officers who are decertified are permanently prohibited from working as peace officers anywhere in California. The decertification process includes notice, an opportunity to respond, and a formal hearing—but the outcome can be career-ending regardless of whether criminal charges were ever filed or resulted in conviction.
For officers employed by the LAPD, LASD, or any other law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County, SB 2 means that an Internal Affairs investigation that results in a sustained finding of serious misconduct can now directly trigger POST decertification proceedings—independent of any criminal case. We represent officers in SB 2 decertification proceedings and fight to prevent sustained findings at the administrative level before they escalate to POST.
Facing a civil lawsuit as a law enforcement officer in Los Angeles County? You’re confronting a dimension of officer accountability that is separate from but closely connected to criminal and administrative proceedings. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, individuals can sue law enforcement officers in federal court for deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law. Section 1983 claims can be filed alongside state law claims for battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In Los Angeles County, civil rights litigation against law enforcement officers increased significantly following the expanded accountability measures of recent years. The city of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles each maintain legal departments that defend officers sued in the course of their official duties—but officers sued in their individual capacity bear their own exposure. The doctrine of qualified immunity, which historically shielded officers from civil liability for discretionary acts unless they violated clearly established law, has been eroded in recent years by both federal and California court decisions.
California’s AB 1506 and subsequent legislation has expanded civilian oversight of law enforcement in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Police Commission reviews LAPD use-of-force incidents and officer-involved shootings. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) provides independent oversight. These oversight bodies can generate reports and findings that are used in both civil litigation and administrative proceedings.
While Tu Defensor Criminalista’s primary focus is criminal and administrative defense, we work in coordination with civil defense counsel when our officer clients face parallel civil proceedings, ensuring that the criminal and administrative defense strategy does not inadvertently create civil liability.
Charged with a crime while off-duty in Los Angeles County? You’re discovering that your status as a law enforcement officer doesn’t disappear when you’re not in uniform—and neither does the heightened scrutiny that comes with it. Off-duty officers who are involved in DUIs, domestic violence incidents, bar fights, traffic altercations, or any other conduct that results in criminal charges face the same career-ending professional consequences as officers charged for on-duty conduct.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and city prosecutors throughout Los Angeles County are fully aware when a defendant is a law enforcement officer. Some prosecutors treat officer defendants with additional scrutiny; others may offer similar treatment to any professional defendant with no prior record. The outcome depends heavily on the specific facts, the courthouse, the prosecutor assigned, and the quality of the defense representation.
A DUI conviction under Vehicle Code § 23152[6] for a law enforcement officer carries the same criminal penalties as for any defendant—plus the additional consequence that a DUI conviction may constitute grounds for termination by your agency and potential action by POST. We defend officer DUI cases with the same rigor as any other DUI case, challenging chemical test results, field sobriety test administration, and the lawfulness of the traffic stop.
Domestic Violence Charges: A conviction for domestic violence under Penal Code § 273.5[5] or Penal Code § 243(e)(1)[14] triggers the federal Lautenberg Amendment under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9)[15], which permanently prohibits possession of firearms by anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor. For a law enforcement officer who must carry a firearm as a condition of employment, a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction means the end of your law enforcement career—permanently and irrevocably. We fight domestic violence charges against officers with maximum aggression because the stakes are absolute.
Facing charges that could result in POST decertification in Los Angeles County? The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)[13] sets the minimum selection and training standards for California peace officers. POST certification is required to work as a peace officer in California, and certain criminal convictions—including any felony conviction and many misdemeanor convictions—automatically trigger decertification proceedings.
Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), effective January 1, 2022, significantly expanded POST’s authority to decertify officers for a broader range of conduct. Under SB 2, POST can investigate and revoke the certification of any peace officer in California for conviction of certain crimes, dishonesty, engaging in bias-based conduct, unlawful or excessive use of force, sexual assault, or other serious misconduct. The investigation process is separate from and independent of any criminal proceeding.
Decertification means permanent, statewide prohibition on working as a peace officer anywhere in California. There is no county-by-county workaround. There is no lateral transfer to another agency. If POST decertifies you, your law enforcement career in California is over.
At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we advise clients from the very beginning of their case about the POST certification implications of different outcomes. We work to achieve resolutions that protect both your freedom and your certification—and when POST proceedings are initiated, we represent you through that process as well.
Accused of dishonesty or misconduct that could place you on a Brady list in Los Angeles County? You’re facing a consequence that may be even more devastating to your career than a criminal conviction—a finding of dishonesty or certain misconduct that requires the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office or city prosecutors to disclose your disciplinary history to defense attorneys in every criminal case in which you are a witness.
The Brady list—formally called a “Pitchess” or prosecutorial disclosure list in California—is maintained by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office[11] and by city prosecutors throughout the county. Officers whose names appear on the list are effectively unusable as witnesses in criminal prosecutions, which means any officer assigned to a patrol, investigations, or any function that involves testifying in court becomes a liability to their agency.
California’s Pitchess motion process, established under Evidence Code §§ 1043–1047[16], allows defense attorneys to seek discovery of officer personnel records including prior misconduct. Officers whose records contain sustained findings of dishonesty, excessive force, or certain other misconduct are particularly vulnerable to having those records disclosed—further undermining their credibility as witnesses.
We fight to prevent the underlying finding of dishonesty or misconduct that leads to Brady listing. When a Brady listing has already occurred, we work within the applicable administrative process to challenge the underlying finding and seek removal from the list.
Under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department Internal Affairs Group or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau? You’re in one of the most sophisticated and well-resourced administrative investigation processes in American law enforcement. Understanding how these investigations work—and where the critical decision points are—is essential to protecting yourself.
The Los Angeles Police Department[9] handles administrative investigations through its Internal Affairs Group (IAG), which operates independently of the criminal justice system and applies a “preponderance of the evidence” standard—meaning a finding against you requires only that the allegation be more likely true than not, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt. LAPD’s disciplinary process can result in official reprimand, suspension, demotion, or termination.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department[10] handles administrative investigations through its Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau (ICIB) for criminal matters and its Professional Standards and Training Bureau for administrative matters. The LASD disciplinary process similarly operates on a preponderance standard and has its own appeal procedures.
In both agencies, you have rights under POBRA to be represented during interrogation, to receive notice of proposed discipline, and to appeal disciplinary decisions. Exercise these rights. Do not submit to interrogation by Internal Affairs without legal representation. Do not assume that what you say will be treated fairly or in context.
The Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission[17] provides an appeal process for county employees including LASD deputies who have been terminated or subjected to major disciplinary actions. We represent officers in Civil Service Commission proceedings as part of a comprehensive defense strategy.
At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we build individualized defense strategies for every officer client based on the specific charges, the evidence, the agency involved, and the full range of career consequences at stake. Our approach for law enforcement officer clients includes:
Tu Defensor Criminalista provides criminal and administrative defense representation for law enforcement officers employed by agencies throughout Los Angeles County, including:
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), California Highway Patrol (CHP) — Los Angeles Division, Long Beach Police Department, Glendale Police Department, Burbank Police Department, Pasadena Police Department, Torrance Police Department, El Monte Police Department, Pomona Police Department, West Covina Police Department, Compton Police Department (now contracted to LASD), Inglewood Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Culver City Police Department, Hawthorne Police Department, Downey Police Department, Gardena Police Department, Redondo Beach Police Department, Manhattan Beach Police Department, Hermosa Beach Police Department, Alhambra Police Department, Monterey Park Police Department, South Gate Police Department, Whittier Police Department, Baldwin Park Police Department, Azusa Police Department, Covina Police Department, Lancaster Sheriff’s Station, Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station, Los Angeles County Probation Department, Los Angeles County Department of Corrections, campus police departments at UCLA, USC, Cal State LA, CSUN, and other institutions, and all other law enforcement agencies operating within Los Angeles County.
No matter which agency you serve, we are here to defend you. Whether you serve a large metropolitan agency like the LAPD or LASD, a municipal department in one of Los Angeles County’s dozens of incorporated cities, a campus police department, or a county-level agency, the stakes of a criminal charge or misconduct investigation are the same—your career, your certification, and your freedom are all at risk. Contact Tu Defensor Criminalista today for a free, confidential consultation.
Law enforcement officers deserve defense representation that understands the full scope of what they face—not just the criminal charges, but the career, the pension, the certification, and the life they have built in service to their community.
At Tu Defensor Criminalista, we provide:
Contact us today at tudefensorcriminalista.com for a free, confidential consultation. Available 24/7. We speak English and Spanish. You dedicated your career to protecting others—let us protect you.
Yes. In California, law enforcement agencies can initiate termination proceedings based on administrative investigations that operate on a preponderance of the evidence standard—lower than the criminal beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. An officer can be terminated even if the criminal charges are dismissed or result in acquittal, if the agency’s administrative process produces a sustained finding of misconduct. This is why managing both the criminal and administrative proceedings simultaneously is essential.
POBRA stands for the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act, codified at Government Code §§ 3300–3313. It gives peace officers specific procedural rights during investigations, including the right to be told the nature of the investigation before interrogation, the right to representation during interrogation, and the right to notice and an opportunity to respond before discipline is imposed. These rights are not automatically protected—you must assert them and, when they are violated, use those violations as part of your defense.
The Lautenberg Amendment, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), permanently prohibits anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense from possessing firearms. Because law enforcement officers must possess firearms as a condition of employment, even a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction—not a felony—ends a law enforcement career permanently. This makes fighting domestic violence charges to the absolute limit essential for any officer.
A Brady list is a prosecutorial disclosure list maintained by the DA’s Office or city prosecutors that identifies officers whose credibility has been impeached by sustained findings of dishonesty or certain misconduct. Prosecutors are required to disclose this history to defense attorneys in cases where the officer is a witness. Officers on the Brady list become effectively unusable as witnesses, which ends their usefulness in most law enforcement roles and can result in termination.
POST decertification is the revocation of your peace officer certification by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, making you permanently ineligible to serve as a peace officer anywhere in California. POST decertification proceedings are separate from criminal proceedings. They can be challenged through the administrative appeal process, and the outcome can be affected by the resolution of the underlying criminal or administrative case. We advise clients on decertification risk from the very beginning of every case.
No. Under POBRA, you have the right to representation during any interrogation by Internal Affairs. Statements made during an IA interrogation can be used in administrative proceedings and, depending on how the investigation unfolds, can potentially affect criminal proceedings. Do not submit to interrogation without first consulting with a criminal defense attorney who understands both POBRA and criminal law.
Potentially, yes. A DUI conviction for a law enforcement officer can constitute grounds for termination depending on your agency’s policies and the specific circumstances. Even if your agency does not terminate you, a DUI can result in a demotion, a suspension, restrictions on your duties, and a disciplinary record that affects future promotions and assignments. The sooner you retain an attorney after an off-duty DUI arrest, the more options you have.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, through its Justice System Integrity Division (JSID), reviews all officer-involved shootings in Los Angeles County to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The JSID conducts its own independent review of the evidence and presents officer-involved shooting cases to an “OIS panel” for review. Officers and their attorneys can engage with this review process. We represent officers throughout the JSID review process and advocate for a no-charge determination from the earliest possible stage.
In California, a public employee convicted of a felony committed in the performance of their official duties may forfeit their public pension under Government Code § 7522.72[18] and related provisions. This pension forfeiture risk is one of the many reasons why fighting criminal charges with maximum aggression is essential for law enforcement officers. We factor pension implications into every aspect of the defense strategy.
Yes. We represent all categories of California peace officers, including correctional officers employed by the Los Angeles County Department of Corrections, probation officers employed by the Los Angeles County Probation Department, campus police officers, transit officers, port police, and all other peace officers as defined under Penal Code § 830[19] who are employed by agencies operating in Los Angeles County.
Remember:
Attorney Armando Josué Cespedes is rated 5.0 on Avvo, with 34 five-star reviews from clients praising his dedication, professionalism, and results. Many note how his trial skills and attention to detail led to reduced charges or outright dismissals.
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