SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate voted 24 to 8 to move SB 710, a first-in-the-nation law requiring District Attorneys that accept financial contributions from law enforcement associations and unions to recuse themselves in investigations and prosecutions of law enforcement officers. The bill is authored by Steven Bradford (SD-35), and proudly sponsored by the Prosecutors Alliance of California. Prosecutors Alliance Executive Director, Cristine Soto Deberry, issued the following statement in response to the bill’s passage:

“The California State Senate just took a significant step to increase independence between prosecutors and law enforcement. Elected prosecutors that accept financial contributions from law enforcement associations cannot escape the conflict of interest that exists when they inevitably lead investigations into the members of those organizations. Even where police act appropriately and within the confines of the law, that conflict undermines trust and casts a shadow of uncertainty over decisions not to charge officers in critical incidents. As our nation confronts systemic racism we must break the historical ties which fundamentally undermine trust in our communities and weaken accountability for law enforcement officers who violate the law.  We strongly urge the California State Assembly to #CureTheConflict, pass SB 710, and send this important measure to the Governor for his signature.”