McNicholas & McNicholas Files Suit Against Whittier
By Lawdragon News | March 5, 2015 | Press Releases
LOS ANGELES, CA – The plaintiff’s trial law firm McNicholas & McNicholas filed a retaliation lawsuit against the City of Whittier on behalf of six Whittier Police Department (WPD) Officers and demanding a trial by jury. The lawsuit alleges that the WPD imposed an unlawful citation and arrest quota in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 41600 on its officers. The plaintiffs, Officers Joseph Rivera, Jim Azpilicueta, Anthony Gonzalez, Steve Johnson, Nancy Ogle and Mike Rosario, refused to participate in and report the unlawful citation and arrest quota. They were ultimately subjected to multiple and repeated adverse actions, including negative and disparaging language and comments in their permanent files, unfavorable documentation, unwarranted counselling sessions and transfers, increased scrutiny, and threats of termination in official documents if they did not meet the quotas.
“The imposition of a ticket and arrest quota is not only a clear violation of state law, but a really bad approach to managing police officers; it prevents them from doing their jobs which is to protect the public every day” says lead counsel, Matthew McNicholas, a Partner with McNicholas & McNicholas. “It’s a shame that these officers’ careers have been materially and adversely affected as a result of the harm and damage conducted by Whittier Police Department, when it was the officers who were actually doing the right thing.”
Similarly in November 2013, Mr. McNicholas obtained a $5.9 million settlement on behalf of ten LAPD motor officers claiming retaliation for refusing to follow an illegal ticket quota.
McNicholas & McNicholas, a Los Angeles-based plaintiff’s trial law firm, represents clients in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, employment law, class actions, sexual abuse and other consumer-oriented matters such as civil rights, aviation disasters and product liability. Founded by a family of attorneys spanning three generations, McNicholas & McNicholas has been trying cases to jury verdict on behalf of their clients for more than five decades.
