Courson

INTRODUCTION

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Department) suspended appellant William Courson for 30 days without pay based on statements Courson made to undercover FBI agent Leah Marx, some of which were captured on recordings Marx surreptitiously made. The statements came to light during a federal criminal trial of other Department staff and received media attention. The Department thereafter conducted an investigation and concluded that Courson had “misrepresented and/or exaggerated the use of force in the jails” in his statements to Marx which had brought “discredit and undue embarrassment to [himself] and the Department.” Courson challenged the discipline and the Civil Service Commission of the County of Los Angeles (Commission) appointed a hearing officer, who held a two-day hearing and issued proposed findings and conclusions, and a recommendation. The Commission ultimately upheld the discipline. Courson filed a petition for administrative mandate seeking to have the Commission’s decision set aside. In the petition, Courson also sought extraordinary relief pursuant to Government Code section 3309.5, arguing that he had not received timely notice of the…