California has taken a big step toward removing secrecy in police killings

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law this week that prohibits the use of grand juries in cases where police officers used lethal force against civilians. The new rule will go into effect next year, making California the first state to take this accountability measure.

Grand jury deliberations, like those following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, are kept sealed from the public unless a judge decides to release them. The new system will instead allow district attorneys, who are elected officials, to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against officers, as would happen if the accused were not on the police force.

"We're not trying to get more officers indicted," explained LaDoris Cordell, a former judge and police auditor who backed the bill. "We're saying, 'Whatever you decide, do it in the open.'"

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