D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh wants to narrow the definition of “assault on a police officer,” in a bill aimed to “increase fairness and transparency in the District’s justice system.”
Cheh claims that the current definition includes things like stiffening arms when an officer attempts to handcuff you or holding a door closed to an officer. She argues that these actions should not be enough to charge a citizen with a misdemeanor and throw them in jail for six months.
The bill would also alter procedure for police lineups and dealing with witnesses.
“We must always provide safeguards to protect our officers, but the law should not be so broad so that nearly any encounter with an officer could be considered an assault,” Cheh said in a statement reported by WTOP.
“Although this bill has been in development prior to recent civil unrest, recent events highlight the need for these criminal justice reforms,” she said. “There is great frustration with a justice system that is intended to protect our residents but which is perceived by many to be unfair. This bill seeks to restore greater confidence in the criminal justice system.”
Cheh’s “Police and Criminal Discovery Reform Amendment Act of 2015” would, according to a release obtained by The DCist:
- More precisely define the misdemeanor of “assault on a police officer” (APO)
- Reform how MPD officers conduct eyewitness identification procedures
- Increase the information available to the Office of Police Complaints (OPC)
- Expand the rules of discovery in criminal prosecutions
WTOP reports that sending more information to the Office of Police Complaints would enable review boards to more easily see previous complaints and problems related to a particular officer. Cheh was set to introduce the bill in a council session Tuesday.
(h/t Daily Caller)
