LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has dropped a lawsuit in which he sought judicial clarification of subpoenas for deputy personnel records issued by the Civilian Oversight Commission over alleged deputy misconduct issues.
In his Los Angeles Superior Court complaint filed March 19, Luna sought to find out what could properly be released under COC subpoenas concerning investigations that include confidential peace officer personnel records of deputies allegedly involved in such matters as internal cliques and inmate jail deaths.
While the LASD has complied with previous COC requests for information from LASD, it has not provided confidential peace officer personnel records because it is not legally permitted to do so, the Luna suit stated.
On Dec. 17, Luna’s attorneys filed court papers with Judge Jerrold Abeles asking that the lawsuit be dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning it can be refiled later. The court papers do not state if the parties resolved the issue or if the case was not being pursued for other reasons.
COC members have repeatedly stated their disagreement with what the commission members contend is the sheriff and LASD’s wrongful refusal to provide deputy personnel information, prompting the COC to issue subpoenas.
The suit stated that Luna is obligated to respect the privacy and other rights of LASD sworn staff and other employee.
“The Sheriff submits this suit to help bring about clarity, so that the COC, LASD, and the county all will have clear guidance as to what material LASD legally can share and what it cannot,” the suit stated.
The COC was established in January 2016, to improve the public transparency and accountability of the LASD by making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, the department and the public.
