2020

The National Police Accountability Project was proud to support our members' work in spearheading California Senate Bill 731, authored by California Senator Bradford (D-Los Angeles).  Qualified immunity at the federal level has prevented victims of police violence and misconduct from achieving accountability and justice.  Federal lawmakers have not been able to limit the reach of qualified immunity, but state legislators in California can act to eliminate immunity for police officers.

WA HB 1202 or the Peace Officer Accountability Act (POAA) eliminates obstacles to civil liability for law enforcement officers who engage in misconduct by creating a new legal path to hold officers accountable. The POAA also makes departments liable for bad hiring, inadequate training, and negligent disciplining. Additionally, the POAA expands access to justice by allowing attorney’s fee and cost recovery if the victim wins their lawsuit, and it allows the Attorney General’s office to investigate and bring a lawsuit to address patterns of wrongdoing by officers and departments.