Judge Steven Bailey: Politicians Placing Police At Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJUNE 20, 2018

CONTACT: COREY UHDEN

Communications Director

(951) 501 9944

Judge Steven Bailey (Ret.) Calls on Californians to Defeat Legislation to Restrict Use of Force by Police Officers

California - Republican Attorney General candidate Judge Steven Bailey (Ret.) is calling on Californians to contact their legislators to express opposition to AB 931 (Weber), a bill that would, among other things, limit use of deadly force by a peace officer to "those situations where it is necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death to the officer or another person."

"Police officers are required to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. Use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, not the 20/20 vision of hindsight. That is language straight from the U.S. Supreme Court case Graham v. Connor (1989) but California legislators think they know better."

 

"Without consulting law enforcement, Sacramento politicians who have never worn a badge colluded with special interests to write a bill that must be soundly defeated in the State Legislature. California legislators are not only defying common sense, they are proposing an unprecedented departure from the standards of criminal and constitutional law." 

"I am calling on all Californians to contact their State Legislators and express their opposition to this radical, misguided proposal. Together, we can beat the special interests and ensure first responders are heard first in Sacramento."

 

AB 931 passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on a 5-1 vote. Among those who oppose its passage are most California law enforcement organizations: 

 

Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs; California Association of
Highway Patrolmen; California Association of Code Enforcement Officers;
California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations; California College and
University Police Chiefs Association; California Narcotics Officers Association;
California Peace Officers’ Association; California Police Chiefs Association;
California State Sheriffs’ Association; California Statewide Law Enforcement
Association; City of Oakley; City of West Covina; Cloverdale Police Department;
Fraternal Order of Police; Law Enforcement Managers’ Association; Long Beach
Police Officers Association; Los Angeles Police Protective League; Los Angeles
Professional Peace Officers Association; Peace Officers Research Association of
California; Riverside Sheriffs’ Association; Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’
Association 

Judge Steven Bailey is honored to have the endorsements of three county sheriffs; four county DAs, and several law enforcement associations representing more than 15,000 police officers throughout California: Los Angeles Police Protective League; Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs; Deputy Sheriffs' Association of El Dorado County; Placer County Deputy Sheriffs' Association; Roseville Police Officers' Association; Rocklin Police Officers' Association. 

 

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For more information on Judge Steven Bailey, visit www.BaileyForAG.com. 

For a full list of endorsements, visit BaileyForAG.com/Endorsements.