Police who shoot civilians can hide their names under victims' rights law, court rules
In a decision that could have sweeping implications in police use-of-force cases, a Florida appellate court has ruled that officers who kill citizens can hide their identity under a measure designed to protect crime victims from violence and harassment.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Tuesday unanimously reversed a lower court decision that had denied on-duty officers protections under Marsy's Law, a provision that has been adopted in at least 12 states, including Florida.
In October, a USA TODAY/ProPublica investigation showed that as police across the nation faced scrutiny over over brutality and systemic racism, law enforcement agencies – particularly in Florida – increasingly were co-opting Marsy's Law to shield the identifies of officers accused of violence.
Florida agencies have used it to hide the names of officers who sent a 15-year-old boy to the hospital, officers who fired bullets into moving cars and officers who released their K9 dogs on drunk and mentally ill people, the news organizations found.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/police-who-shoot-civilians-can-hide-their-names-under-victims-rights-law-court-rules/ar-BB1fon9f?ocid=DELLDHP&li=BBnbfcL
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