California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is tasked with enforcing and upholding the state's laws. But when it comes to a new measure that requires the release of law enforcement misconduct records, Becerra is refusing to budge.
Becerra has declined to respond to California Public Records Act requests asking for the records and says he's waiting for decisions from several courts before he provides them.
“I don't want a court to tell me 'That was not a document that you should have released,' Becerra said. “And those people who had that privacy violated have no real recourse.”
The new law took effect on January 1. Since, police unions from Richmond and Los Angeles have sued to block disclosure of misconduct files. The courts will determine how to interpret the law, and specifically whether records should be provided retroactively.
Comments