Judge Delays Promotion of Police Officer

A federal appeals judge has temporarily halted the promotion of a Latino police officer who won a racial discrimination suit against the City of Glendale.

Judge David Thompson of the 9th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday granted the city a temporary stay from complying with a lower-court order to immediately promote Officer Ricardo L. Jauregui, 38, to sergeant and give him back pay at that rank retroactive to February, 1985.

The stay will remain in effect until the appeal is heard by a three-member panel, possibly in mid-January, court officials said.

City Officials Reprimanded

U. S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian Jr. in October concluded that the city’s Police Department acted “arbitrarily, capriciously and discriminatorily” in denying Jauregui a promotion and giving it instead to an Anglo officer. Tevrizian strongly reprimanded city officials and ordered that they investigate charges of discrimination and racism within the department.

City officials have repeatedly denied the charges and have steadfastly maintained that racism was not a factor in denying Jauregui a promotion.

Police Chief David Thompson (no relation to the appeals judge) and others testified at the trial that Jauregui is “rude, arrogant and abrasive,” and thus would not make a good supervisor.