Marina del Rey Sheriff's Deputy Goes to Court

    Attorneys for a sheriff's deputy who alleges he was retaliated against for exposing favorable treatment given to an inmate accused of stealing former Dodger catcher Jim Campanis' 1988 World Series ring can review some personnel records of other department members mentioned in his complaint, a judge ruled today.
   Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu granted part of what lawyers for Deputy William Cordero were seeking, but found some of the other requests were too broad and denied them. The order affects some of Cordero's supervisors as well as Undersheriff Paul Tanaka.
   Cordero sued the county July 18. The complaint states that in November 2010, La Verne police detectives recovered the ring and Campanis' Rolex watch, both of which were stolen earlier that year from the ex-player's golf bag while he was playing in a charity tournament at Western Hills Golf Course in Chino Hills.
   Police said the ring was found during a search of the home of Frank Jose
Carrillo and the watch was found at an Ontario pawn shop.
   According to the suit, in 2010 Cordero had a coveted day-shift position at the sheriff's Avalon Station on Catalina Island that included a 16.5 percent pay bonus. He alleges an administrator in the sheriff's department used his influence to transfer Carrillo to Catalina Island and have him housed there to keep him out of the Men's Central Jail.
   In July 2011, Capt. Jeff Donahue, who was the sheriff's commanding officer on Catalina Island, had Carrillo's jail uniform and wristband removed and replaced with civilian clothing, including a polo shirt and designer pants, the suit states.
   The captain then "illegally transported Carrillo to a local golf course where he was given golf lessons by Carrillo," the suit states.
   After Carrillo told Cordero he went golfing with the captain, the plaintiff complained to his supervising sergeant, who told him "people here need to realize that it's not going to be good for them if they undermine the captain," the suit states.
   The suit maintains that the captain wrote in the station jail log that Carrillo never left the station.
   Donahue later told Cordero that he had "cleared the golfing excursion with Sheriff Lee Baca after the Catalina Gold Star Dive fundraising event,'' the suit states.
   Cordero, a 22-year LASD veteran, says he has temporarily been loaned to the Marina Del Rey Station and will lose his 16.5 percent bonus if he is permanently transferred there from Catalina. Cordero's lawyers maintain that Commander Todd Rogers approved the deputy's transfer and that Tanaka reneged on a promise to look further into their client's complaints about his treatment.
   Tanaka is scheduled to retire from the LASD on Aug. 1.
   Under Treu's order, Cordero's lawyers can peruse some records regarding the training of Tanaka, Donahue, Rogers and two sergeants concerning their education, background and training in the area of employee retaliation since July 2006. However, the judge said he will review all the information in his chambers to determine what information can be released.
   The attorneys also were granted access to documents generated from the investigation into Cordero's case.
   The Cordero attorneys also wanted documents regarding other retaliation complaints against the other department members, but Treu said they could only have information on how to contact the other complainants and witnesses in those cases.
   Deputies at the Catalina Station later became divided over the captain's alleged actions and those supporting him took out their anger on Cordero with inappropriate remarks and gestures, according to the suit. In October 2011, a dispatcher told him, "If an officer-down call happens, I hope it's you," according to the suit.
   That same month, Cordero's mailbox became the subject of internal pranks when a rubber clown mask of the type sometimes used by criminals during robberies was put inside of it and yellow tape commonly utilized by police at crime scenes was placed across the box with the message, ``Hold for prints,'' according to Cordero's court papers.
   Cordero maintains he suffers from high blood pressure and heart damage because of his stress. He also says his sergeant told him he would be promoted to his rank if he kept quiet about the golf excursion.
   Campanis, a son of former Dodger general manager Al Campanis, played 46 games for the Dodgers from 1966-68 and was working for the team making speeches when the team won the World Series in 1988.