Mr. Benjamin O. Warren, Jr.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Executive Summary:
* I have been involved in law enforcement since 1980.
* In the recent 12 month period (May 2023 to May 2024), I have consulted on twelve cases for both
plaintiff and defense with a 50-50 split.
* I consult with counsel and prepare reports as required.
* I consult on documents needed for your case.
* I am familiar with case preparation and reports to meet Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
* I have consulted on federal cases related to 42 U.S. Code § 1983 - (Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights)
* I consult in a wide swath of law enforcement including:
- Use of Force (Lethal and non-lethal)
- Officer Involved Shootings
- Pursuits
- Qualified Immunity
- Training
- Jail Custody (Policy and Procedures).
Note: Expert opinion can be determined from a comprehensive review of all available documentation, video,
photographs, facts and other evidence.
Please contact me for your initial consultation. I will send you my CV and Fee Schedule upon initial consultation.
General Specialties: Police Practices & Procedures and Jails & Prisons
Areas of Expertise: Pursuit Policy, Use-of-Force (Lethal / Non-Lethal) Excessive Force, In-Custody Death, Firearms (Policy & Procedure), Less-Than-Lethal , Reasonable Suspicion, Probable Cause, Searches, Search Warrants, Ramey Warrants, Internal Affairs Investigations, Crime & Arrest (Policy & Procedure), Jail Policy & Procedure, Jail Custody, Jail Suicide, Bars/Night Clubs, Security, and Crime Foreseeability just to name a few.
Background Summary:
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD): April 21,1980 to November 30, 2013 - Honorably retired at the rank of Sergeant.
Peace Officer Standardized Training (P.O.S.T.) certified peace officer with Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Supervisory certifications. Patrol and field functions for a total of 18 years. Responded to tens of thousands of emergency calls for service. Assigned as Delegate and Defense Representative on behalf police officers of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
Assigned as a detective trainee, Southeast Division, Major Assault Crimes (MAC). Filed cases with the Los Angeles County District Attorney and Los Angeles City Attorney. Prepared and presented criminal cases for preliminary hearing and trial. Testified approximately 150+ times at preliminary hearings and criminal trials and Municipal Court as an investigator and fact witness. Testified at preliminary hearing under California, Proposition 115, Peace Officer Hearsay Testimony, pursuant to the Crime Victims Justice Reform Act 1990.
Assigned to the Los Angeles Police Academy, Law Training Unit, trained new police recruits, designed curriculum based on Department policy, and P.O.S.T standards. Conducted in-service training of seasoned veterans with law updates each year.
Promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1998. Assigned to train and monitor police officers daily to follow Department policy. Conducted investigations involving pursuits, use-of-force incidents and a myriad of other investigations. Reviewed and approved thousands of Department reports involving personnel, arrests, evidence, use-of-force and pursuits. Conducted personnel complaint investigations involving allegations of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, excessive use-of-force, violation of pursuit policy, and neglect of duty, just to name a few.
Assigned as Watch Commander (WC) and Assistant Watch Commander (AWC) at various patrol divisions . Watch Commander duties included but were not limited to review and approve criminal investigations, arrest reports, evidence reports, administrative complaint investigations and Injury-On-Duty (IOD) Worker’s Compensation investigations.
Assigned to Legal Affairs as a staff researcher/writer with Management Services Division (MSD), Special Projects Unit (SPU) to develop and write Department policy. Assigned to interact with the District Attorney and City Attorney to develop policy opinion based on case law. Final "completed staff work" was then reviewed by the Police Commission and approved by the Chief of Police.
Sergeant II, Internal Affairs Investigator and Department Advocate conducted serious allegation investigations against Department personnel. Assisted the Department's, Advocate Office with case preparation and presentation for Board of Rights hearings.
Watch Commander of Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to oversee Citywide (City of Los Angeles) Jail Operations of three regional jails, seven divisional jails, and monitor through the Chain-Of-Command, the well being of more than 400+ personnel, which took in approximately 75, 000+ prisoners per year. Investigated multiple uses-of-force, cell extractions, and in-custody deaths. Assigned as the Acting Officer-In-Command of 77th Regional Jail which commanded Jail Division, Operations South Bureau of approximately 150+ personnel.
Assigned as Acting Commanding Officer of Property Division, and Command Officer-Adjutant, charged with overseeing approximately 150+ employees as well as evidence booked, stored, and processed such as the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit (SAEK) and other DNA preserved evidence.
Assigned ancillary duties as a Department Chaplain in 2002, became the President of the Chaplain Corps in 2011 until retirement in 2013. Responsible to train and oversee more than 65 Chaplain's with various ethnic and religious backgrounds. Assigned to be one of three writers of the Department's Chaplain Corps policy manual signed by the Chief. I am currently serving within the LAPD as a Reserve Chaplain.
- Crime Foreseeability
- Deadly/Excessive Force
- Jails & Prisons
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Diploma: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Academy 1980
California Commission Peace Officer Standardized Training:
- Certifications: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory (1980 to 2013).
Advanced Officer School (1983)
Advanced Field Officer School (1986)
Defensive Driving School (Advanced) 1986
Juvenile Procedures School (1991)
Narcotics Investigation School (1992)
Instructor Development School (1997)
Arrest and Control School (ARCON) (1997)
Bicycle School (1997)
Supervisory Development School (1999)
Internal Affairs Investigations (1999)
Watch Commander School (2000)
University of Southern California (USC) & Latin American Law Enforcement Association:
- Theory and Practice of Ethics in Policing (2000)
Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, Class 174 (2005)
Applied Leadership for Employee Relations (2006)
Certificates:
Intoximeter Certification (1999)
Los Angeles Police Department, Hollywood Division, Crime Free Multi-Housing Program
City of Los Angeles, Entry-Level Oral Board Certification, Police Candidate Certification Interview Techniques (2003)
Los Angeles Police Department, Personnel Division, Civil Service Rules and Procedures (2002)
Los Angeles Police Department, Emergency Management (SEMS/NIMS) (2002-2007)
Bureau of Security and California Licensed Private Investigator (License No. PI 27142) (2007-Present)
Open Source Intelligence Investigations, (OSINT) Camelot Investigations Certification (2018 & 2023)
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Affiliations:
American Society of Criminology-Division of Policing
Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE)
Los Angeles Police Protective League
California Commission Peace Officer Standardized Training (POST)
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS)
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
California Coast University - Continued Education Completion - Bachelor of Arts - Criminal Justice (2024)
The Institutes Risk & Insurance Group - Continued Education Completion - Associate in Risk Management (2024)
Bureau of Justice Statistics
United States Department of Justice - Office of Juvenile Justice-Office of Justice Programs
California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI-CA)
Southern California Fraud Investigators Association (SCFIA)
International Association of Chief's of Police (IACP)
- Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Lead daily training of both police and civilian employees over the span of my career in each area of expertise.
Assigned as a criminal law instructor with the Los Angeles Police Department (Department), Law Training Unit. Assigned to coordinate curriculum and teach standardized P.O.S.T Criminal Law, incorporating Department policy and related tactics to police recruits as well as "In-Service" training to all levels of police and civilian employees.
Assigned to numerous public events as a Sergeant, Watch Commander, Investigator, Community Policing Member and Chaplain.
Spoke to a group of approximately 2000 individuals at the 2002, Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) Summit, Getty Museum, Getty Research Institute.
Assigned to train several hundred personnel, City of Los Angeles Public Access Defibrillation Program (2007), and received a Certificate of Appreciation, on behalf of Mayor, City Council, and Los Angeles Fire Department, Chief Douglass Barry, and acknowledged in Council Chambers.
Have spoken at numerous Department meetings and as a fact witness during hostile interviews with personnel while assigned as investigator at Internal Affairs Division
Numerous crisis negotiations throughout career in the field. Experienced speaking under stressful cross examination within the California Superior Court preliminary hearings and trials.
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 5
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 42 U.S.C. Civil Rights Violation §1983 (Excess Force)
Unlawful Detention/Arrest - (Reasonable Suspicion/Probable Cause)
Law Enforcement Procedure/Protocol
Law Enforcement Training/Policy
Emergency Driving Procedures
Tactics
Use of Force
Use of Lethal Force
Evidence Processes/Preservation
Arrest Report Analysis
Police Professionalism - General/Specific
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 60%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 40%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: None.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: Not yet deposed as an expert.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Testified in County of Los Angeles Superior Court and the Los Angeles Municipal Courts well over 150 times during my tenure as as a police officer. Testified under oath during Los Angeles Police Department, Board of Rights hearings with the Department Advocates Office for case preparation and argumentation during hearings.
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: None.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: Since 1980 to present.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Police Practices, Policy & Procedure; Use-of-force; Jail Policy;
In-Custody Death; Pursuit Policy; Risk Management Consultant; Internal Affairs; Property Evidence; Trial preparation and submission of Rule 26 reports. - Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: Negotiable.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: Negotiable.
Hot cases due within 10 business-days of request will be $450.00 per billable hour and the retainer will be negotiated based on case details. - Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $350.00 per billable hour.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $350.00 per hour per billable hour.
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Any fees such as travel by air, rental car, hotel and per diem will be actual costs with receipt. Per Diem will be at GSA rates. Air travel will be business class for travel under 2 hours. Air Travel 3 or more hours will be first class, not part of the retainer.
All issues related to billable hours, travel, cancellation of depositions, trials or meetings and related costs, will be covered in the Hot Pursuit, Inc. - Retainer Agreement.
The Hot Pursuit, Inc. - Retainer Agreement must be agreed upon and signed by both parties with receipt of the non-refundable retainer of $4,000.00 prior to commencement of any case-work.
Travel time will be $125.00 per hour unless conducting other case work for such case.
Available Upon Request