The lawsuit, filed Friday, Nov. Gardner, the suit claims, also made threatening phone calls to her and chased her onto a freeway, swerving into her lane and cutting her off, when she threatened to reveal the affair to his wife.
Thacker said she made attempts to terminate the relationship, and even filed a police report against Gardner after he continued harassing her and allegedly injured her arm, drawing blood, during a heated argument in Newport Beach. She believes Gardner used his position of power to quash her complaint and potential criminal charges.
I attempted to apply for other jobs. I was doing everything to get out of the situation, and it never seemed to come to an end until the day I reported it. Gardner abruptly resigned as public defender in December , and little was said publicly about his departure other than that he planned to continue representing indigent clients.
At the time, Gardner said he left the office for personal reasons. Since March, he has been working at the San Bernardino office of a private criminal defense attorney. Reached by telephone, Gardner declined to comment, deferring to his attorney, Doug Smith, who did not respond to requests for comment. All four are still employed at the office and each has 20 or more years of experience there, Gage said. Like Thacker, Gardner, according to the lawsuit, would give Vanderlinden assignments that would provide opportunities for sexual liaisons outside the office.
Though not a plaintiff in the lawsuit, he alleges Chief Deputy Public Defender Jennie Cannady made him a sex slave at her home and threatened to have him arrested for raping her if he rebuffed her. When Gibbs did just that, Cannady made good on her promise, reporting him to police and having him arrested, the suit alleges. Gibbs said he spent a few days in jail but eventually was released from custody.
