Fired Officer Files Lawsuit Against Police in Orange

ORANGE —  A former police officer who says he was unfairly fired from the force on misconduct charges last January is suing the city for reinstatement.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Orange County Superior Court, Jose Uceda says he was fired in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner and wants to be reinstated with full seniority and benefits.

In December 1995, Uceda was notified by his superiors that he would be disciplined for allegedly violating the department’s code.

Among the charges was failing to respond to an injury accident and then lying about it later. The department contends that the officer later admitted to falsifying his daily log, according to a memorandum included in the lawsuit.

After a hearing on the incident, Orange Police Chief John R. Robertson fired Uceda and wrote to him in a memo: “I am absolutely convinced that you have lied throughout this investigation. It is my belief that you started with what you would consider a small lie, and then it snowballed beyond your control.”

Uceda appealed the firing, but it was upheld in April by an arbitrator who determined that the city had the right to fire Uceda for misconduct.

In his lawsuit, the former officer says the firing is not supported by the weight of evidence and states that his punishment was “patently excessive.” He is also suing the city for attorneys fees.