The Region - News from Nov. 3, 1985

A former Santa Ana police officer who sued the department for racial discrimination was awarded $900,000 by a federal court. Jesse J. Sanchez resigned from the force in 1979 after being denied a merit-pay increase. He and two other former officers, also Latino, later sued the department for $3 million, claiming bias against minorities forced them to leave or be fired. In June, U.S. District Judge David Kenyon dismissed most of the case, but allowed to stand Sanchez’s contention that the department failed to advise him of a way to appeal the raise denial. Sanchez was awarded $400,000 in lost future earnings and $500,000 for emotional distress. Santa Ana City Atty. Edward Cooper said the city will schedule a hearing before Kenyon to ask that the award be thrown out or reduced.