[1] In March 1972 César Echeverría and others were charged with felony battery against four deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Peter J. Pitchess.
Echeverria asserted that he acted in self-defense in response to excessive force;[1] immediately following the incident, he was in an intensive care unit, and the officers themselves had sustained no serious injuries.
[citation needed] Echeverria requested records of internal investigations into police misconduct, which the trial court granted, but the administrative services bureau refused to cooperate, so a subpoena duces tecum directed the sheriff to produce the information.
[1] Sheriff Pitchess sought a writ of mandate to compel the Los Angeles County Superior Court to quash its subpoena.
[2]: p.45 The Court found, however, that although such records could be classified as discoverable by García, they had to contain complaints that were sustained by the police department itself before they could be provided.
Instead, courts typically order the law enforcement agency to reveal the name, address, and telephone number of any prior complainants and/or witnesses as well as the dates of the incidents in question.