Steve_Lair

I have been a Peace Officer in the state of Texas for more than five years. I have been a TMPA member since the beginning of my career and had yet to utilize the legal services provided by the organization. That all changed on January 27th, 2003.

On that date I responded to a disturbance call between a husband and wife. Upon arrival, I discovered the call involved a former police officer from my department. Due to the nature of the call and the potential civil liability involved, I requested my Sergeant to the location to oversee how the call was handled. I was taken aback when my request for assistance by my supervisor was refused on two occasions.

After concluding interviews with both parties, both officers determined that only a verbal argument ensued and that no criminal offense had been committed. An information report was completed and approved by my Sergeant.

Three days later, the female involved in the incident arrived at the station and proceeded to change her story. The incident was no longer that of a verbal argument, but a tale of a violent assault by her husband that purportedly occurred just moments before officer’s arrival. Despite the lack of any obvious signs of injury that would have been evident, if her new version of events were true, I was placed on administrative leave. . .

Given the Administration’s history of unjust actions towards officers, I knew I needed the expert assistance provided by TMPA’s legal plan. My case was assigned to attorney Lance F. Wyatt. From the first day, Lance’s personal approach, professional bearing and advice helped to alleviate my apprehension regarding my situation. Given the subjective direction of the investigation, Lance’s honesty and sincerity helped prepare me for what lie ahead.

On April 3, 2003 I was placed on indefinite suspension by the Carrollton Police Department stemming from the Internal Affairs investigation. For the next year, Lance proceeded to work tirelessly on my appeal. Although he must have had numerous cases in addition to mine, Lance nevertheless made me feel I was his number one priority. I was kept in the loop with up to date information and developments. During the dozens of calls placed to his office over the course of the year, Lance never once made me feel as if he was too busy to speak with me about my case. In the last two weeks leading up to the arbitration hearing, I was given daily briefings regarding my appeal.

During the three-day arbitration hearing, Mr. Wyatt’s expertise, knowledge and attention to detail was evident. His nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement as a Police Officer, detective and supervisor, coupled with his time as an Assistant District Attorney was on display as he methodically took apart the city’s case, point by point. Through it all, Mr. Wyatt was able to prove that the Internal Affairs investigation was incomplete and biased in nature. Through his own investigation, Mr. Wyatt was able to produce sworn testimony from other officers that refuted my Sergeant’s testimony and evidence that had shown my complainant to be untruthful in at least two other investigations by two different law enforcement agencies.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the city attorney stated that in order for the hearing examiner to overturn the indefinite suspension, she would have to find that my complainant had lied, my Sergeant had lied and the Lieutenant had been biased in her investigation. On April 1, 2004 the arbitrator’s ruling contained a one-sentence paragraph that answered her question, “I believe Steven Lair.” The indefinite suspension was completely overturned and I was made whole.

During this whole nightmare of an ordeal, I have come to know Mr. Wyatt not only on a professional basis but on a personal level as well. I have witnessed, behind the scenes, all the immeasurable hard work, the “blood, sweat and tears” that he has poured into my case. Simply put, I OWE MY ENTIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER TO LANCE WYATT. As a police officer, I am truly honored to be a member of TMPA and feel blessed that the organization has attorneys with the abilities and dedication like Lance F. Wyatt.

Sincerely,

Officer Steve Lair
Carrollton Police Department

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