(05-16)
10:50 PDT Los Angeles, CA (AP) --
A
jury awarded $1 million to a Los Angeles police sergeant who claimed he faced
retaliation for reporting misconduct by a superior officer.
Sgt.
James Abbate on Tuesday was awarded the money for emotional distress and future
lost earnings.
Abbate
claimed he was targeted after reporting to his superiors in 2009 that Capt.
Ruben De La Torre had evaded tolls for several months during his commutes to
work on state Route 91.
"It's
unfortunate it had to come to this level, but it had to in order to get any
relief," Abbate, 54, told City News Service outside court.
Abbate,
who has about three decades with the LAPD, also said he did not expect the
verdict would affect his ability to perform his duties at the West Los Angeles police
station, where he is an assistant watch commander.
During
final arguments on Monday, Deputy City Attorney Daniel Aguilera called the
lawsuit "a money grab" and said Abbate deserved the reprimands he
received.
The
LAPD and city attorney's office declined comment after the verdict, citing a
possible appeal, the Los Angeles Times ( http://lat.ms/KrlFLz) reported.
Abbate
said he was told by another officer that De La Torre put duct tape over his
rear license plate to avoid express lane toll road cameras. When asked about
the tape, De La Torre said his grandchildren had put it on the plate, Abbate's
suit contended.
The
suit also claimed that after raising concerns with various officers, including
a deputy chief, Abbate was switched from evening shift to days, and that made
it difficult to care for his mother.
Abbate
also received two neglect-of-duty complaints, said his attorney, Gregory W.
Smith.
Abbate
was cleared of wrongdoing, but De La Torre changed those findings to sustain
the complaints, Smith claimed.
De
La Torre resigned last year in the midst of an LAPD internal investigation.
The
Associated Press could not immediately reach De La Torre for comment. Smith
said De La Torre lived in Murrieta, but there was no phone listing for him in
that city.