Kayla Watson, Partner at Serviam by Wright LLP, recently instructed “Supervisory Decisions That Make-or-Break Litigation,” a two-hour virtual presentation offered through the California Peace Officers’ Association (CPOA). The session drew law enforcement supervisors, command staff, and the risk management and legal personnel who support them. The premise was straightforward. By the time a civil complaint is filed, the supervisory record is already fixed. Who assumed command. What was documented. Which report was approved, and what that report failed to articulate. Whether a policy was enforced consistently or selectively. Ms. Watson walked attendees through that record from the perspective of the attorneys who eventually read it—both the plaintiff’s counsel building a claim and the defense counsel working to hold the line. Supervisory Conduct as Litigation Exposure Ms. Watson opened by mapping the litigation framework supervisors operate within, whether or not they are aware of it. Civil claims against California law enforcement agencies rarely stop at the officer who acted. Plaintiffs’ attorneys routinely pursue supervisors...
