On Monday, April 20, 2026, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected Los Angeles County’s attempt to toss a civil lawsuit that accuses county sheriff’s deputies of brutally beating Joseph Perez during a July 2020 arrest in East Valinda. The decision keeps the case alive after years of effort by Perez’s family to pry loose more records and accountability. Outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Perez’s mother told reporters the ruling gave the family hope.
Deputies’ Story Versus What Reporting Reveals
According to the Los Angeles Times, deputies from the Industry Station were dispatched around 2 a.m. on July 27, 2020, after a report of a possible car burglary. Deputies said they found Perez tampering with a vehicle. In the department’s redacted account, officials allege Perez punched and kicked deputies during a struggle, injuring several of them. He was later charged with resisting arrest.
Family’s Account And The Civil Claim
Plaintiffs tell a starkly different story. They say Perez, who lives with schizophrenia, was in the middle of a mental health episode when deputies arrived and that officers responded with disproportionate force. In a brief courthouse update reported by LAist, Perez’s mother, Vanessa, said, “I’m overwhelmed... Maybe justice will come.”
Medical records and documents reviewed in LAist’s longer investigation show Perez was treated for deep cuts to his scalp and face that required staples and sutures. His family says he continues to experience neurological symptoms.
Oversight Subpoenas And The County’s Pushback
The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission has subpoenaed the department for an unredacted use-of-force report from the night Perez was beaten, along with other related materials. So far, the department has not turned those records over.
In March 2025, the sheriff filed a declaratory-relief complaint arguing that state confidentiality laws limit how much of peace officer personnel records can be disclosed, according to the county’s court filing. That legal clash has left advocates and Perez’s family urging a judge to decide whether oversight officials can review sensitive materials in closed session.
What’s Next In Court
With the judge’s latest ruling, the civil case now moves into discovery. Perez’s legal team is expected to push for body-worn camera footage, witness interviews and the same unredacted use-of-force package that the oversight commission is seeking.
The Sheriff’s Department has said it will follow the legal process and, in prior reporting, said the use of force in this incident was found to be within policy, according to the Los Angeles Times. Advocates say the outcome could become a pivotal Measure R-era test of how far civilian oversight can reach and how law enforcement responds when someone in the middle of a psychiatric crisis ends up face to face with deputies.
