A Warning to State Personnel Under Investigation

Potential state workers take heed! If you have been served with an adverse action or any kind of discipline, you need to immediately obtain legal representation.

Many civil servants fail to realize the dire consequences of trying to respond to a notice of discipline without the assistance of legal counsel. Not only can the right attorney assist you in generally defending your good name and employment record but, in many cases, the threatened discipline can be reduced or even dismissed through the negotiation and settlement process. With appropriate representation, a reduction or dismissal of the threatened discipline often occurs without the need of a costly, formal administrative hearing before the State Personnel Board. Without an attorney, the outcome can differ vastly. As the State of California continues to manifest its disdain for state workers and their due process rights, and the State Personnel Board continues to uphold draconian penalties against state workers for even trivial offenses, one would do well to promptly obtain an expert in this area.

Former State Personnel Board administrative law judge Richard P. Fisher, otherwise known as “Mr. SPB”, has drafted, prosecuted, defended, and presided over hundreds of adverse actions before the State Personnel Board over the past 30 years. He has served as a State of California prosecutor, defense counsel, and administrative law judge. In 2014 Mr. Fisher joined the boutique law firm of Goyette, Ruano & Thompson because of its small size, emphasis on candid personal service, and deep subject matter expertise in administrative law generally and State Personnel Board defense specifically. 

For a complimentary consultation contact Mr. Fisher at (916) 851-1900.  In most cases, clients can obtain a flat fee agreement for legal services that will provide them with the highest level of legal representation and, at the same time, give them a realistic, fixed cost as to what that premium legal defense entails.