Will a List of California “Criminal Cops” Be Made Public?

Attorney General Xavier Becerra is fighting to keep these records private.

Will a List of California “Criminal Cops” Be Made Public?In December 2018, two journalists with the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California at Berkeley submitted public records requests to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.  This agency is an accrediting body that determines which officers are qualified to either be hired or retained by state law enforcement agencies.  The journalists asked the Commission for a list of officers convicted of a crime.  On January 8, the men received two files  containing a spreadsheet with 12,000 names, including both officers and applicants convicted of a crime.

Shortly thereafter, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) notified the journalists that they had inadvertently been given confidential criminal history information.  In addition, according to the letter, they were breaking the law by simply possessing the spreadsheet.  The DOJ requested that the journalists destroy the spreadsheet and to not publish the data.

According to Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the DOJ respects the importance of a free press and the need for transparency.  However, he claims that the Commission made a mistake, and that innocent people should not be caught up in the situation.  The two journalists pushed back, arguing that the data was obtained legally, and the information is important for the public to know.  As an example, he mentioned the case of a San Francisco police officer who was convicted of accessing confidential records to help his girlfriend dig up dirt on a tenant.  This information was never reported on in the local media, or disclosed to the public.

As a criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA can explain, this type of information is important in criminal trials as well. In any given case, the testimony of a police officer might be crucial in convicting a defendant.  For example, in California, a person may be charged with a DUI even if their blood alcohol content is below the legal limit of .08 percent.  In that case, the officer’s observations of the person’s behavior are crucial to the prosecution: if the person was driving erratically, if he or she had bloodshot eyes or smelled of alcohol, if the person was slurring his or her words.  A criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA could use the fact of the officer’s own criminal history to call his or her credibility into question.

The issue of whether the list of “criminal cops” can be released will likely be decided by the courts.  In the meantime, if you have been charged with a criminal offense in California, having a highly skilled criminal defense lawyer Riverside, CA can help you achieve a favorable outcome.

The Chambers Law Firm is experienced in all phases of the California criminal justice system.  Contact us today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation or to learn more about how we can help you.

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