David Gage, Craig Patterson, Warren Harris v. City of Long Beach
Published: Mar. 22, 2008 | Result Date: Feb. 14, 2008 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |Case number: BC356034 Verdict – $4,100,000
Court
L.A. Superior Central
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Christopher Brizzolara
(Law Offices of Gregory W. Smith)
Gregory W. Smith
(Law Offices of Gregory W. Smith LLP)
Defendant
Facts
Plaintiffs David Gage, Craig Patterson, Warren Harris, a Long Beach police sergeant and two officers, all with well over twenty years on the force, respectively alleged they were retaliated against after reporting to their supervisors that some of their colleagues were performing illegal lobster dives in the port of Long Beach while on-duty at night in the fall of 2003. Plaintiffs worked in the Port Security Unit of the Long Beach Police Department. All those involved in the lobster diving (5 officers) were reprimanded and moved out of the unit, but Patterson and Harris alleged they were marked as "snitches" and "malcontents" by many Long Beach officers and command staff and suffered retaliation for their whistle-blowing in the form of personal harassment and denial of job opportunities. Gage, who had been Patterson's and Harris' supervisor when the initial reports were made, alleged that as a consequence of standing up for his men, he was forced to do work ordinarily assigned to cadets and ultimately into involuntary early retirement.
Result
A unanimous jury awarded $4.1 million to plaintiffs (Patterson $1,560,000; Harris $1,360,000; Gage $1,160,000).
Deliberation
three days
Length
three weeks
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