O.C. deputies delay hearings

A work slowdown by deputies Monday morning caused delays in courtrooms throughout Orange County as defendants appeared almost 1½ hours late for some hearings.

Contract negotiations between sheriff’s deputies and the county have been stalled for nearly a year, but a spokesman for the deputies union said the slowdown was not a protest over the lack of progress in reaching an accord. Last week, the deputies filed a lawsuit accusing the county of bargaining in bad faith.

Mark Nichols, general manager of the 1,800-member Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, said deputies were merely “following policies and procedures,” such as searching every prisoner getting on and off vehicles transporting them to court.

“We have to make sure we do these things right. We shouldn’t be cutting corners,” Nichols said. “The rules are there for a reason.”

However, police unions often engage in work slowdowns during contract disputes, said Chris Cameron, an expert on labor law and associate dean at the Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

“Doing everything by the book tends to be a leading tactic, especially for police officers in California because they are prohibited by law from going on strike,” he said. Chris Norby, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said if deputies were trying to send a message, “it is not going to be a factor in our negotiations. We want a contract that can be sustained by the taxpayers, with salaries and benefits that are fair to all. In the meantime, I’m confident that deputies will do their sworn duties.”

Superior Court spokeswoman Carol Levitzky said most courtrooms began hearing criminal cases at 10 a.m. when inmates began arriving, instead of 8:30 a.m., which is normal on most days.

A sheriff’s spokesman said the safety of inmates and deputies was not affected, and Levitzky said no cases were dismissed because defendants were not present in the courtroom.

Nichols said he did not know how long deputies would continue operating according to written policy. But courtroom operations were back to normal in the afternoon, and Levitzky said Presiding Judge Nancy Wieben Stock sent an e-mail to judges saying that she expected “business as usual” today.

On Monday, 11 police unions throughout the state, including one representing California Highway Patrol officers, threw their support behind Orange County deputies in their pension dispute with the county. The groups announced they would help pay legal fees to fight a proposal by Supervisor John Moorlach to shrink what he said was an overly generous retirement plan for deputies and other county law enforcement officials.

Supervisors are considering suing to try to invalidate portions of an agreement that retroactively increases retirement pay at age 50.

Ernie Carrillo, president of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Assn. of San Diego County, said the organizations were acting out of solidarity with Orange County deputies. The unions will help deputies “in this fight to protect their pensions,” according to a statement.

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hgreza@latimes.com