"A two-page amendment posted to a county website at the start of 2025 says that coroner's inquest hearings - which for decades have been done for virtually all law enforcement-involved death - will now only occur if certain officials request them. The amendment attributes this change to "advancements in transparency," implying that the digital age now makes such hearings obsolete."
"The amendment cites the proliferation of video evidence that can supplant witness testimony, "including body-worn camera footage from involved officers, bystander mobile phone recordings, and surveillance video from surrounding locations," and cites recent state transparency laws that allow more public access to such footage. But the laws come with exemptions that are often cited by police departments to delay disclosures for years."
Contra Costa's police chiefs' association eliminated a long-standing protocol requiring public coroner's inquest hearings before juries for all police killings and in-custody deaths, making inquests optional when requested by certain officials. The two-page amendment cites "advancements in transparency" and increased availability of video evidence as reasons for the change. The association includes the county Sheriff's office, Probation Department, and District Attorney. The final mandatory inquest occurred in October 2024 involving a 2023 police chase death. The amendment notes video types but acknowledges legal exemptions that can delay disclosures for years.
Read at The Mercury News
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