California law expanded the public’s access to police records in 2019, but one court ruling has exempted the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
(CN) Police records and privacy were on the minds of a three-judge appellate panel on Thursday as they listened to attorneys argue about the purpose of a California law that expanded the state’s public records law.
Over 400 police agencies in California found themselves under a new law in 2019 that made available non-confidential records on misconduct, use of excessive force and police shootings. Numerous police unions fought to limit the law in court. They argued the law should not be applied to police records created before the law went into effect.