Tony Sain to Present at PARMA Conference on California’s ‘Revolution’ in Police Use of Force Law

Los Angeles, Calif. (February 1, 2024) – Los Angeles Trial Partner Tony M. Sain will present a session at the 50th Anniversary of the Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA) Annual Risk Management Conference & Expo on February 21 at 2:00 p.m. PT at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa. This informative 60-minute session is titled “The Unintended Consequences of California’s ‘Revolution’ in Police Use of Force Law”.

Los Angeles Associate Tori Bakken will assist Mr. Sain in presenting. This session will cover the unintended consequences of California's changes in police use of force laws, with a specific focus on the controversial definition of "great bodily injury" (GBI). The debate revolves around whether or not GBI must be a severe injury likely to lead to death or permanent paralysis, or can be as low as an injury causing mere pain, creating confusion in both police/civil rights and California Public Records Act (CPRA) contexts as to when deadly force is lawful, and as to what kinds of force-related police records must be disclosed to the public. This lack of clarity also has implications for the disclosure of public records under CPRA, particularly concerning police investigatory records related to incidents where force caused death or GBI.

CLE credits are available.

PARMA is a professional community of California public agency personnel with responsibility for risk management, and a network of risk management service providers.

Mr. Sain is a trial attorney and appellate advocate on the General Liability and National Trial Practices. He focuses his practice on high exposure/stakes, high-profile matters in a variety of catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases across a number of practice areas, including personal injury, tort litigation, as well as police civil rights and public entity defense.

Ms. Bakken is also a trial advocate on the General Liability Practice. A rising star at trial, she regularly outmaneuvers trial attorneys with decades more experience; and she is fast developing renown as one of the most effective cross-examiners of her generation.

Learn more about the PARMA conference and register here.