SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY GRAND JURY
The Law Office of Sharon J. Brunner and The Law Office of James S. Terrell
The Law Office of Sharon J. Brunner and The Law Office of James S. Terrell urge the public to come together to voice your concerns to the San Bernardino County Grand Jury. The San Bernardino County Grand Jury oversees all complaints concerning county employees to include local law enforcement and deputies. Both attorneys represent family members who have suffered the loss of family members at the hands of law enforcement and deputies, who are supposed to be trusted and safe individuals, and also represent clients who have endured brutal and unwarranted physical abuse due to law enforcement misconduct. By voicing your concerns and filing a formal complaint with the San Bernardino County Grand Jury, the Grand Jury is then required to investigate the complaint and all San Bernardino County personnel involved. Many individuals have lost their lives at the hands of San Bernardino County deputies … Nate Pickett lost his young life at the hands of a San Bernardino County Deputy in the City of Barstow, which resulted in a verdict of $33.5 Million in March of 2018. Despite two (2) shootings in his very short career as a Deputy (5 years), this Deputy still works for San Bernardino County. Unfortunately, this Deputy still works for the County and went on to shoot and seriously injure another citizen in January of this year. Unlawful shootings are becoming a frequent occurrence in the City of Barstow. Jeffrey Sprowl was also gunned down in the City of Barstow and the fight for justice continues on his behalf. Betty Lozano lost her life at a San Bernardino County jail in 2017, leaving behind two children, having been neglected at the High Desert Detention Center, which resulted in a $1.9 Million settlement. In-custody cases are on the rise despite a recent class-action lawsuit filed against the County by the Prison Law Office. Many of these deaths could have been prevented. Just last week, an Orange County Grand Jury determined 44% of their in-custody deaths could have been prevented and the County’s written agreement to make the necessary improvements. This is an issue the San Bernardino County Grand Jury must investigate immediately!
Most recently, Diante Yarber, an unarmed young, black man, was also shot to death by Barstow Police Department Officers. Most alarming is the fact one of the deputies involved in Mr. Yarber’s shooting was previously convicted of a hate crime and was required to donate to the NAACP as a part of his plea deal. Even after his hate crime conviction, this Officer was still employed as a law enforcement officer in the City of Barstow. We are determined to seek legal justice for these losses and for the individuals who were fortunate to survive the continued brutality of law enforcement. Frances Pusok was brutally beaten in April of 2015 and continues to overcome the trauma of the attack. The prosecution of the three (3) deputies involved in Mr. Pusok’s attack were essentially a waste of taxpayers money as the Judge reduced a jury felony verdict to a misdemeanor.
As a community, we cannot continue to stand by and ignore the loss of these lives. Together the San Bernardino County Grand Jury must hear the public’s outcry in this epidemic of police brutality and misconduct. In many of the cases we handle, the deputies involved have had repeated instances of excessive force and are not taken off of the streets. Many unjustified shootings result in no prosecution of the guilty deputies. It is time to take a stand to protect the future of our children and the community. We urge you to have your voice heard by submitting your concerns to the San Bernardino County Grand jury by filing a complaint on their website: http://wp.sbcounty.gov/grandjury/.
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
