Prosecutors won't charge cases that rely on testimony from officers with misconduct histories
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Monday that his office will no longer charge cases that rely on statements from officers who have a proven history of misconduct.
The new policy aims to ensure that people can't be falsely
prosecuted as a result of words or actions from officers with histories of misconduct like excessive force, discrimination, dishonesty or racial bias, Boudin said.
"We have seen across the country repeated instances of police
violence inflicted upon people of color and the Black community-often by officers with prior known misconduct, yet whose words prosecutors continued to trust in filing charges," Boudin said in a statement.
"This directive ensures that members of the public are not wrongly
or unfairly accused by officers whom we know have displayed the kind of misconduct that permanently damages their credibility or the trust we place in them," he said.
Under the new policy, lawyers with the District Attorney's
Office's Trial Integrity Unit will be tasked with compiling a list of
officers who have documented histories of misconduct, which is to be updated regularly.
The policy would only apply to cases that rely solely on testimony
from an officer with a known history of misconduct and wouldn't apply to cases where others witnesses can corroborate evidence, deeming the testimony of an officer with a history of misconduct unnecessary.
Boudin, who took office earlier this year, has made several
changes within his office in the last two weeks, including compensating victims of police violence. The changes are in response to worldwide protests demanding accountability in the face of several high-profile police killings of unarmed black people.
Police were not able to say Monday evening whether officers whose testimony is not trusted can do a satisfactory job as an officer.