The Yagman Ultimatum

As I was reviewing some of my recent blogs while at home this evening, I was trying to think of another episode in my past that might be of interest. I have many such experiences on notes in various formats but they are all at my office.

I saw something that reminded me of an attorney (now ex attorney) named Steve Yagman and I recalled an incident that occurred several years ago in the Venice area of LA.

Yagman was an attorney who made a name for himself by suing LAPD and LAPD officers, usually frivolously (in my humble opinion). On the particular Sunday morning in question, I was working in West Traffic Division as 34M30, meaning I was a motorcycle sergeant. As I recall, it was a nice day and fairly quiet. Steven Yagman had recently been in the news for several high-profile lawsuits.

I heard a call on my police radio from one of my officers requesting a supervisor at a certain location. The officer, whose name escapes me right now, was a very bright fellow who I knew to be diligent on keeping abreast of the nuances of traffic enforcement law.

As you have probably guessed, I arrived to find that this officer had stopped Steven Yagman who was driving his late model Cadillac on Lincoln Boulevard with New York license plates that were expired. Officer Jones (not his real name) had decided to impound Mr. Yagman’s nice Cadillac and Mr. Yagman requested the presence of a police supervisor.

A little background here. California law allows police officers to impound vehicles if their registration has been expired in excess of six months which Yagman’s had NOT. However, the law also allows officers to impound vehicles being driven by unlicensed drivers.

Yagman displayed a valid New York driver’s license when initially stopped, claiming he was legally a resident of New York. Officer Jones, using the name and date of birth on Yagman’s license, ran the information through what is known as the State Automated Name Index (ANI) File (we do that over the radio through Communications Division) and found that Yagman had been issued a California driver’s license that was currently suspended for failing to appear for previous traffic tickets.

Officer Jones could barely conceal his excitement because not only was he going to impound Yagman’s nice new Caddy, he was going to place a 30 day hold on it.

So here I come in all my splendor and glory and Yagman asks if I would step away from the officer so he can speak to me. “Certainly” says I.

So Yagman says “I’m Steve Yagman.”

“I’m Sergeant Partridge” was my response. “How can I be of service?”

He then tells me “I sue police officers.”

“So I’ve heard” says I. “Are you planning on suing me or my officer for some reason?”

“No. Of course not.”

So I say again, “What can I do for you?”

“Well I want to make sure you understand that I sue police officers.”

“Well,” I said, “You keep saying that. Are we to feel afraid or intimidated? Are you threatening us for some reason?

“No. Of course not.”

I finally get him to ask me to have Officer Jones not impound the car. I explained the case and said that it looked to me like the car should be impounded. At one point I asked him if he had driven that nice clean Cadillac all the way from New York. He said he had done so several times. He hadn’t been willing to give up his car keys and his odometer was one that is only visible with the key on, so I asked him for his ignition key so I could see his odometer and verify all those trips across America (not that it mattered). He wouldn’t do it.

Bottom line, the car got impounded. We made sure that the Vehicle Coordinator at Pacific Station (the only person who could commute the vehicle’s 30 day sentence) got a strong message from us that we really hoped to see the vehicle serve all of its 30 days. We also made our case that the vehicle should not be released until it was properly registered in California. And that’s what happened and Officer Jones and I were hailed as conquering heroes. Jones more than me, but some Sergeants would have caved at approving that impound but I didn’t.

So the only run in I have ever had with Yagman was a victory for truth, justice and the American way as defined by LAPD.

Last Summer, Yagman was accused of some serious crimes to which he pled “presumed innocent.”

I was delighted to hear later that he was found guilty and probably will now have to say when pulled over in the future, “Hi! I’m Steve Yagman and I used to sue police officers.”