SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Lawyers for California's attorney general have argued against the release of police misconduct records, saying a transparency law that took effect this year never intended for his office to vet and disclose a vast trove of information created by local law enforcement agencies.
They asked an appeals court on Thursday to reverse a lower court's order for Attorney General Xavier Becerra to turn over the records to news organizations, including The Associated Press, that sued his office.
Senate Bill 1421 took effect on Jan. 1 and was designed to guarantee public access to records involving investigations into officer shootings, use-of-force incidents and incidents involving officer misconduct.
Becerra's office holds the largest repository of such records.
Related: KSBY Investigates: Law enforcement actions face new scrutiny
