California Officer Turns the Tables on His Accuser
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) -- Laurel Rosales tried to get police officer Dave Maitlen in trouble.
Now she's the one in hot water.
In February, Rosales, 32, claimed Maitlen robbed her of her driver's license, threatened her and called her a derogatory term for a lesbian, according to the Daily Breeze of Torrance.
Maitlen wasn't too concerned. He had tape recorded the encounter with Rosales, which began when he responded to a report that someone was beating a child in a parked car.
Torrance police cleared Maitlen of any wrongdoing following a five-month investigation. But that wasn't enough for the 30-year-old officer.
Maitlen took Rosales to court. After listening to the tape, Judge Pro Tem Jay Belshaw ruled in the officer's favor.
''The court finds that defendant, Laurel Rosales, falsely accused (Maitlen) of making terrorist threats in a 911 call to the Torrance Police Department on Feb. 11, 2005,'' the ruling said. ''Also, defendant Rosales falsely accused plaintiff of robbery. These accusations are slander.''
Belshaw also found that Maitlen did not sexually discriminate against Rosales.
The judge ruled that Maitlen suffered no actual damages and ordered Rosales to pay him just $50. That was fine with the eight-year officer.
''It definitely wasn't about the money,'' he said.
Torrance detectives plan to ask the City Prosecutor to charge Rosales, of Carson, Calif. with a misdemeanor count of making a false allegation against a police officer, said Lt. Rod Irvine.
Rosales could not be reached for comment.
Information from: Daily Breeze