Los Angeles Police Department Statement on the Release of the Christopher Dorner Review NR 13208as

Los Angeles:  The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has submitted to the Board of Police Commissioners the comprehensive review of the firing of former LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner.  Mr. Dorner was discharged from his position as a Los Angeles Police Officer and later went on a murder rampage, killing four people before dying during a police shootout in San Bernardino County.

The Dorner report, entitled "Review of the Investigation Surrounding the Termination of Christopher Dorner," is scheduled to be heard by the Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday, June 25th during the Board of Police Commissioners meeting.  The report along with the June 25, 2013 Board of Police Commissioner’s Agenda is available on the Police Commission’s website at: www.lapdonline.org/police_commission.

For the past five months, the Special Assistant for Constitutional Policing, Mr. Gerald Chaleff (see bio below) and his staff members have researched, compiled, and reviewed thousands of pages of testimony, internal reports, complaint Investigations, as well as Dorner’s "manifesto."

The report addresses the specifics of Dorner’s discharge, including allegations made against Dorner, and the allegations made by Dorner in regard to alleged unfair treatment, retaliation and conflicts of interest surrounding his discharge.  The report concludes that based upon the facts and evidence, the discharge of Christopher Dorner was factually and legally proper.  According to the report, discharging Dorner from the Department "was not only appropriate, it was the only course the Department could have taken based on the facts and evidence."  Dorner was discharged due to consequences of his own actions and that decision was found to be sound and just.

“After a thorough review of all the available information, my analysis concludes that the discharge of Christopher Dorner was justified,” said LAPD Special Assistant Gerald Chaleff.  “His discharge was based on his own actions.  The allegations he made against his training officer appeared to have been made in an effort to forward his own agenda.”

“I directed this review because I wanted to ensure that the Los Angeles Police Department is fair and transparent in all that we do,” said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.  “All of us recognize that as a Department we are not perfect, nonetheless, this report shows that the discharge of Christopher Dorner was factually and legally the right decision.”

A second report on the Dorner matter will be published later in the year.  That report will specifically address issues raised by Dorner and others regarding the Department’s disciplinary system and the state of employee relations within the Department.     

Gerald Chaleff was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department by Chief of Police William J. Bratton on January 13, 2003.  He currently serves as the Special Assistant for Constitutional Policing (SACP) to the Chief of Police.  As the SACP, Mr. Chaleff oversees the operations of the Department Risk Manager, Planning and Research Division, Legal Affairs Division, Internal Audits and Inspections Division, and Fiscal Operations Division.

In 2013, the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) will award Gerald Chaleff the Shattuck-Price Outstanding Lawyer Award.  The LACBA President Richard Burdge said Chaleff, “was selected as the recipient of the Shattuck-Price Award for his remarkable career of service to the justice system, including his dedication and efforts in helping to guide the Los Angeles Police Department into a more transparent and community-oriented department.”

In 1997, Mr. Chaleff was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, and elected as President of the Board from 1999 to 2001.  He is a former President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and served as Deputy General Counsel to the Webster Commission, which examined the Department’s response to the 1992 civil unrest. He has prior experience with both the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, and spent several years in private practice.  Mr. Chaleff received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

In private practice, Mr. Chaleff is a nationally recognized expert in criminal defense, in both state and federal courts, and has been elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Chancery Club.  He is a former partner of the firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, where he chaired the white-collar criminal defense practice group.  He has extensive trial experience and has provided legal analysis to a variety of news media, providing commentary and legal analysis on high profile criminal cases.