Taylor

INTRODUCTION

A jury found that defendant and appellant City of Burbank (the City) wrongfully demoted and/or fired plaintiff and respondent William Taylor, the City’s former deputy chief of police. The City appeals the judgment based on alleged juror misconduct and instructional error. We find no misconduct or error and affirm the judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Factual background.1

A. Taylor’s history of employment with the City and attempts to address alleged wrongdoing in the police department. Taylor began working for the Burbank Police Department in 1984. He worked his way up department ranks until, in August 2007, Burbank’s Chief of Police Timothy Stehr appointed Taylor as his deputy chief. Taylor’s job was to oversee the captains and police administrator in the daily operation of the department and to assist the chief. In November 2007, Taylor gave a memorandum to Chief Stehr regarding a burglary in a police department office and two officers’ alleged use of excessive force. Although Taylor wanted an outside agency to conduct an investigation, Chief Stehr reprimanded Taylor, calling him the “most mother f[uckin]g disloyal SOB” for exposing internal…