Judge Rejects Police Union Bid for Hearings

A judge rejected a bid Monday to require the Los Angeles Police Department to grant probationary officers full-blown hearings when they are accused of misconduct and subject to dismissal.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the police union, had asked for a preliminary injunction that would have extended to all probationary officers the right to such hearings.

The union’s plea was based on an appellate court decision that afforded the same right to policewoman Sharon Fischer, who was accused in 1986 of becoming romantically involved with a football player at Kennedy High School while she was working as an undercover officer. She denied acting improperly.

Superior Court Judge David Yaffe denied the union’s request for the injunction, saying that it was “too broad” and that the appellate court granted Fischer her hearing because she denied the allegations and because the accusations could harm her chances of obtaining another job.