SB 227: Grand juries: powers and duties.

Existing law authorizes a grand jury to inquire into all public offenses committed or triable within the county in which the grand jury is impaneled, sworn, and charged, and to present them to the court by indictment. Existing law requires a grand jury to inquire into willful or corrupt misconduct in office by a public officer in the county. Existing law also authorizes a member of a grand jury, if he or she knows or has reason to believe that a public offense has been committed, to declare it to his or her fellow jurors, who are then authorized by existing law to investigate it.

This bill would prohibit a grand jury from inquiring into an offense or misconduct that involves a shooting or use of excessive force by a peace officer, as specified, that led to the death of a person being detained or arrested by the peace officer, unless the offense was declared to the grand jury by one of its members, as described above.