Two alleged victims of a San Diego deputy accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen other women reached settlements with the county Tuesday totaling upwards of $400,000.
The settlements of $262,000 and $150,000 were reached with two women who filed separate lawsuits against San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) Deputy Richard Fischer and the County of San Diego.
Fischer was arrested and charged on Feb. 22 with groping or touching 14 women who had called 911 for help, the San Diego County District Attorney said. The instances took place over two years and often happened when there were no other deputies around, the DA said.
A 15th complaint was filed on March 18 after Fischer appeared in court.
The settlement payments do not include attorney's fees for the claimants which will be reimbursed by the county.
Dan Gilleon, the attorney for two women and several others who filed similar claims against the deputy, said a third client could possibly reach a settlement with the county on Wednesday.
Fischer faces eight felony charges and six misdemeanor charges including sexual battery, assault and battery by an officer and false imprisonment charges.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations.
The alleged incidents span two years and four months with the earliest happening in May 2015 and the most recent incident occurring in October 2017.
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“In three of these cases for service, Fischer returned to the victims’ homes late at night, after the call had been cleared and closed out, without invitation and without lawful, legitimate purpose,” Deputy District Attorney for San Diego County, Annette Irving said in court in February.
Prosecutors said half of the victims had called the sheriff's department after they were victims of a crime. The other half of the victims were in custody and handcuffed when the alleged assaults occurred.
Women say Fischer was in uniform and on duty when he inappropriately touched them in their homes or while they were in custody.
Fischer was placed on paid administrative leave in October when the first accusation surfaced. After the criminal charges were filed, Fischer was placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the criminal case, Sheriff Bill Gore said.
The deputy was taken into custody and ordered held on $100,000 bail which he later posted.
Here are the charges and the dates and victims attached to those charges.
- October 6, 2017: – Sexual battery , Assault and Battery by an officer, Jane Doe 1
- May 1, 2015 - Assault and battery by an officer, Jane Doe 2
- February 1, 2016 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 2
- November 24, 2015 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 3
- January 3, 2016 - Assault and battery by an officer, Jane Doe 4
- February 29, 2016 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 5
- June 19, 2017 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 6
- August 6, 2016 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 7
- September 1, 2016 - Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 8
- November 4, 2016 – Assault and battery by an officer , Jane Doe 9
- November 26, 2016 – Assault and battery by an officer, Jane Doe 10
- May 3, 2017 – False imprisonment , Jane Doe 11
- August 20, 2017 - Assault and battery by an officer, Jane Doe 12
- There is no incident date for the claim filed on March 18, 2018
Read about the complaints here.
Any additional victims can call the San Diego County District Attorney's Office directly at (619) 531-4040.
