California senators approve ban on grand jury investigations into police deaths

[ghostsinthemachine]

By Alexei Koseff

[e-mail]


Grand juries would be prohibited from investigating police shootings and cases where an individual dies from excessive force during an arrest under a bill passed Thursday by the California state Senate.

Protests sprouted up nationwide last fall after grand juries in Missouri and New York declined to indict white police officers who had killed unarmed black men during confrontations. The system, in which a jury of citizens weighs the evidence to decide whether to bring charges, came under fire for its secrecy.

Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, who introduced Senate Bill 227, argued that the lack of transparency and oversight in grand jury deliberations, which do not involve judges, defense attorneys or cross-examination of witnesses, did not serve the public.

“The use of the criminal grand jury has fostered an atmosphere of suspicion that threatens to compromise the nature of our justice system,” she said.

Not sure how I feel about this. seems to me the DA's are in bed with the cops and would make decisions based on that.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article20444133.html#storylink=cpy

[tularetom]

1. As we all know, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich if the DA wants it to

So the decision to indict has really always been in the hands of the DA.

Since he controls the information the GJ sees, he can give them enough to indict, or hold some back to ensure that they won't. If he's corrupt, or in bed with the cops, he can see to it that no cop is ever charged in connection with any shooting. And of course, he needs the cops help in order to do his job properly and keep getting elected.

In other words its always been a shitty system and IMO this bill doesnt do anything to change that.

[ghostsinthemachine]

2. Yeah same here....

Not sure what the accomplishment is.

[leveymg]

3. Or as in the Ferguson case, simply bury the case by presenting the jury all evidence, good and bad

You can also tie up a GJ by letting the jurors decide not to decide on the validity of conflicting testimony, or to simply cherry pick what they're inclined to agree with. Works either way to defeat justice if the DA wants that to happen.