Excerpt:
No, California public employees can’t commit felonies on the job and then keep their pensions earned while they were perpetrating their crimes.
“When misconduct turns into outright criminality, it is beyond dispute that public service is not being faithfully performed,” the state Court of Appeal has concluded. “To give such a person a pension would further reward misconduct.”
The February ruling in a “felony forfeiture” case from Contra Costa and a similar December appellate court ruling in one from Los Angeles County correctly reject arguments from two firefighters that they are entitled to their full retirement pay despite their felonious conduct while working.
Author(s): Daniel Borenstein
Publication Date: 12 March 2021
Publication Site: Mercury News