SAN FRANCISCO—On Friday, June 5, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced an internal policy change, as well as the appointment of Deputy Public Defender Lateef Gray to the position of Managing Attorney at the Independent Investigations Bureau (IIB).
The new policy directive was released on Monday, June 1. It states that all sitting attorneys at the DA’s Office are prohibited from making any final charges in cases involving law enforcement officers until evidence from “all relevant body worn camera footage and any other available relevant evidence” is reviewed.
According to the press release from the SFDA’s Office, the policy change intends to protect “against false accusations by police to cover up misconduct,” in order to prevent “victims of police violence from being prosecuted themselves.”
Rachel Marshall, a representative for the DA’s Office, said in an email to the San Francisco News:
“These policies are aimed at protecting the public and building trust at a time when there is a clear breakdown between the public and law enforcement nationwide.”
This new mandatory procedure was announced in tandem with the appointment of Lateef Gray to the position of IIB Managing Attorney.
The IIB is an independent branch of the DA’s Office that leads investigations of officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, excessive use of force cases, and examines contested convictions.
Gray started at the DA’s Office this year as a deputy district attorney. Prior to that, he served as a San Francisco deputy public defender for six years and as a trial attorney at the Law Offices of John L. Burris Law Firm. He acted as a prosecutor on civil rights violations for five years. In June 2019, Gray became a member of the San Francisco Ethics Commission, after being confirmed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Regarding his IIB appointment, Gray stated:
“At such a critical juncture in our nation, the need for respect, transparency and accountability on all levels, including law enforcement, becomes more readily apparent with each passing second… I look forward to continuing to advance these ideals with the Independent Investigations Bureau.”
