The testimony was alarming. For more than two weeks, jurors heard about deputy gangs, saw their tattoos and logos, learned about their inking parties and listened to witnesses talk about members’ alleged control over the sheriff’s station in Compton.
At one point, a deputy pulled up a pant leg to reveal a tattoo of a flaming skeleton gripping a rifle.
But ultimately, none of that mattered: The lawsuit itself — a $26-million whistleblower retaliation claim — was not about whether deputy gangs exist within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, but whether one man’s opposition to the so-called Executioners was the reason he couldn’t get a coveted promotion.
In the end, the jury said it wasn’t.
On Friday morning, after less than a day of deliberations, plaintiff Lt. Larry Waldie walked away from court empty-handed. All 12 jurors agreed he’d acted as a whistleblower. But they also agreed it was unclear whether that whistleblowing activity was the reason he lost his bid to become the permanent captain of the Compton station.
“We disagree with the jury’s decision, but we respect it,” said Alan Romero, the attorney who represented Waldie. “We are going to avail ourselves of all appropriate remedies under the law.”
Officials with the Sheriff’s Department said in an emailed statement Friday that they were pleased with the outcome.
“However, it does not diminish our commitment to eradicating deputy gangs and ensuring accountability in our Department,” the statement said.
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