The length and bushiness of a police officer’s beard has become a key issue in a legal fight in California.
The city of Fontana is calling for attorney Jerry Steering to be held in contempt months after Steering publicized a nearly $900,000 settlement. The city says he violated a protective order by releasing confidential images of officers received during the lawsuit, which accused detectives of browbeating a murder confession out of an innocent man during 17 hours of interrogation . The city maintains its officers did not break any laws.
Various media outlets in the US and Europe ran the story after it broke in the San Bernardino Sun at the end of May, many using video and still photos from the interrogation of Tom Perez by Dets. David Janusz and Kyle Guthrie. At least one also used a photo of Janusz in his police uniform, and one of Guthrie taken from a deposition in the case…