LAKEPORT — Attorneys representing the Lake County Correctional Officers” Association (LCCOA), as well as those representing the county and Sheriff-Coroner Frank Rivero, appeared in court Friday afternoon for the first hearing about the correctional officers” status as peace officers.
The LCCOA is the petitioner in a civil case filed March 29 in response to Rivero”s decision to recognize the officers as correctional officers, not peace officers. Rivero and the County of Lake are listed as respondents in the lawsuit.
The Lake County Sheriff”s Office began identifying its correctional officers as peace officers in May 2008, following an amendment to the California Penal Code that redefined the authority of deputy sheriffs assigned to custodial duties.
Rivero has argued that the correctional officers have not completed minimum peace officer training and therefore should not be identified as such.
The LCCOA lawsuit asks the court, in part, to order Rivero to recognize county correctional officers as peace officers.
Presiding Judge William McKinstry ordered the respondents on Friday to complete a formal written response to the LCCOA”s petition and submit the response to the court by April 15.
The petitioners would then have one week to submit a written reply to the response. All parties will next appear in court on April 22 for trial setting and case management.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
