Messing Adam & Jasmine LLP is pleased to report that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Cheng has tentatively granted preliminary approval of a $155 million settlement of wage and hour claims filed by a class of more than 10,000 current and retired correctional sergeants and lieutenants against the State of California and its Department... continue reading

CAL FIRE Local 2881 has just ratified a two-year contract with the State commencing July 1, 2022 and expiring on June 30, 2024. State Bargaining Unit 8, consisting of approximately 8,000 fire suppression and prevention personnel, will receive a 2.5% general salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2022, a 2% general salary increase effective January... continue reading

In 2020, the Yolo County Deputy Sheriff's Association (DSA) negotiated a 3 year memorandum of understanding (MOU) on behalf of deputy sheriffs and DA investigators. The agreement provided for a 4% adjustment for deputies and a 3% increase for DA investigators in 2020. When an agreed-upon salary survey was implemented in 2021, deputies got a... continue reading

The Yolo County Attorneys Association just ratified a three-year MOU with the County of Yolo that will result in an increase of over 16% in pay. The MOU includes a 3% COLA and a 2.21% equity adjustment retroactive to July 1, 2022. In January 2023, there will be a 5% equity adjustment, followed by a... continue reading

The Merced Deputy Sheriff’s Association recently ratified a two-year contract with the County of Merced for Bargaining Unit 10, which includes the Deputy Sheriffs. The contract provides for a 6% pay increase effective in the first year, plus a lump sum payment up to $1,500, upon ratification, for those employees who worked from March of... continue reading

Earlier this week, our very own Of Counsel Alison Berry Wilkinson was a featured speaker at the 2022 PORAC Legal Defense Fund Member Conference in Las Vegas on the topic of “Managing the Media and the Message.” Alison and the panel provided a successful and lively presentation, with practical advice, based on real-work examples, for... continue reading

Messing Adam & Jasmine LLP is very pleased to announce the association of Will M. Yamada, in his new role as Of Counsel to MAJ. Will is a principal with Tribuiano & Yamada, LLP and will continue his association with the firm he helped form in 2013. MAJ has a long history with Will, having... continue reading

Last Friday, May 6, 2022, our own Lina Balciunas Cockrell spoke at the 2022 Public Sector Conference in San Francisco sponsored by the Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association. Her panel's topic was Demystifying PERS: An Overview of the Litigation Process and Pitfalls. Lina, who has appeared before CalPERS (California Public... continue reading

The recent decision by the United States Supreme Court in Thompson v. Clark, 596 U.S. ____ (2022) has caused considerable concern among police officers and prosecutors. These law enforcement professionals who daily arrest and charge criminal defendants on the basis of probable cause may worry that they are now more vulnerable to malicious prosecution claims... continue reading

One of the key protections for a peace officer in the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (“POBR”) is the right to have a representative whenever an interrogation could lead to punitive action against the officer. This protection is not limited to interrogations performed by Internal Affairs, but covers questioning by any supervisor... continue reading