“Bill Taylor is one of the most honest and truthful men I have met in my life,” Smith said. “I always believed his story. I have great faith in the justice system and I knew people would see that as well.”
Taylor was among 10 officers who were fired in 2010 for alleged misconduct in how a 2007 Porto’s Bakery robbery was investigated, including accusations of excessive use of force.
The jurors realized that the Porto’s internal affairs investigation was “a complete sham,” Smith said, because evidence presented in Los Angeles County Superior Court showed James Gardiner, who was brought on by the city to probe how the department investigated the Porto’s robbery, was there to buttress the city’s position.
The city alleged Taylor interfered in an internal investigation, and that he was not demoted. Rather, former Chief of Police Tim Stehr was restructuring a department in turmoil.
Ronald Frank, one of the attorneys for the city, did not respond to a request for comment.
Taylor’s lawsuit is the first of several filed after the Porto's Bakery and Cafe robbery in 2007 to go before a jury. The other lawsuits include allegations of racial discrimination and sexual harassment and are winding their way through the legal system.
Opening statements in a trial involving Det. Steve Karagiosian were scheduled to begin this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Karagiosian, along with four other officers, alleged discrimination and sexual harassment in the lawsuit that was filed in 2009.
Taylor is a witness in the case, Karagiosian’s attorney, Solomon Gresen, said.
That could prove troublesome for the city, Smith said, because if Taylor is asked if he sued, he can also be asked about the result of the lawsuit.
