Pocket Guide to the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (18th ed., 2019)

CPER’s best-selling Pocket Guide!

Known statewide as the definitive guide to the rights and obligations established by the act covering peace officer discipline. CPER’s Pocket Guide offers a clear explanation of the protections relating to investigations, interrogations, self-incrimination, privacy, polygraph exams, searches, personnel files, administrative appeals, and more. The Guide also includes the text of the act and summaries of all important cases, a table of cases, glossary, and index of terms.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction (Page 1)
   1. History of the Bill of Rights Act (Page 2)
   2. Analysis and Interpretation of the Act (Page 4)
      1. Covered Employees (Page 4)
      2. Procedures for Investigations of Peace Officers (Page 6)
         1. Complaints from the public (Page 6)
         2. The nature and scheduling of an interrogation under the Act (Page 7)
         3. Representation at investigations and interrogations (Page 10)
         4. Self-incrimination and the ‘Lybarger warning’ (Page 13)
         5. Documents to be provided (Page 15)
         6. Tape recording of interrogation (Page 16)
         7. Assignment of the accused officer during investigation (Page 17)
      3. Privacy (Page 17)
         1. Polygraph examinations (Page 17)
         2. Financial records (Page 18)
         3. Media attention (Page 18)
         4. Searches (Page 19)
         5. Internet (Page 21)
      4. Personnel Files (Page 21)
         1. Entries to personnel files (Page 21)
         2. Access to personnel files (Page 24)
         3. Confidentiality of personnel records (Page 25)
            1. Legislative history of personnel files statutes (Page 25)
            2. Definition of a confidential personnel record (Page 27)
         4. Discovery of confidential personnel records (Page 30)
            1. Motion procedure (Page 31)
            2. Relationship to the California Public Records Act (Page 37)
            3. Remedies for improper disclosure (Page 38)
      5. Disciplinary Proceedings (Page 39)
      6. Administrative Appeals (Page 42)
         1. Right to an ‘opportunity for administrative appeal’ (Page 42)
         2. Nature of an administrative appeal (Page 45)
      7. Remedies for Noncompliance (Page 49)
      8. Conclusion (Page 52)
2. Statutes (Page 53)
   1. Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (Page 53)
   2. Penal Code Definition of Public Safety Officer (“Peace Officer”) (Page 68)
   3. Code Sections Pertaining to Peace Officers’ Rights (Page 90)
   4. Evidence Code Provisions Pertaining to Peace Officers’ Personnel Records (Page 96)
3. Major Court Decisions (Page 100)
   1. Covered Employees (Page 101)
   2. Interrogation Rights (Page 102)
   3. Statute of Limitations (Page 105)
   4. Preemption and Local Rules (Page 106)
   5. Polygraph Examinations (Page 107)
   6. Punitive Action, Appeal Rights: Pay Loss (Including Reduction While on Probation) (Page 107)
   7. Punitive Action, Appeal Rights: Personnel Documents (Page 108)
   8. Punitive Action, Appeal Rights: Probationary Discharge From Peace Officer Status (Page 110)
   9. Punitive Action, Appeal Rights: Transfer (Page 110)
   10. Punitive Action, Appeal Rights: Appeal Format (Page 112)
       1. Cases directly interpreting the Act (Page 112)
       2. Cases helpful in interpreting the Act (Page 115)
   11. Adverse Comments: Right to Respond (Page 116)
   12. Remedies for Violations of the Act (Page 117)
   13. Federal Decisions Interpreting the Bill of Rights Act (Page 119)
       1. Court of Appeals decisions (Page 119)
       2. Trial court decision (Page 119)
   14. Decisions Pertaining to Confidential Personnel Files (Page 119)
       1. Materials Covered by Penal Code Sec. 832.5 (Page 119)
       2. State court procedure: notice to peace officer (Page 121)
       3. State court procedure: judicial finding of “good cause” based on declarations (Page 121)
       4. State court procedure: in camera hearing, exclusions and protective orders (Page 122)
       5. Personnel record cases under the California Public Records Act (Page 122)
       6. Personnel records in federal court (Page 123)
       7. Applying a federal statute in state court (Page 124)
   15. Criminal Sanctions for Filing False Complaints Against Peace Officers (Page 124)
4. Glossary of Terms (Page 125)
5. Table of Cases (Page 129)
6. Index to Subjects (Page 142)