text: You really need an attorney like the Corporation Counsel CC to defend a lawsuit and to apply the legal standard to determine whether or not a City Employee is entitled to a legal defense paid for by City, not political laymen.  Since the common law going back to medieval England, the standard has always been one must be within the course and scope of one's employment in order to force the employer to pay for your legal defense.  There is essential no difference between the "within the course and scope of employment" and "“performance of the officer’s duties as a police officer.”  because Courts will need to depend on common law case precedence which all are base on the "course and scope" standard.  They should ask for an opinion from the CC before the Police Commission tries to decide, because under City law, the CC and only the CC has the authority to decide if an employee is entitled to City paid legal defense. Only Loretta Sheehan has the courage and fortitude to do what is right.