Stateās attorneys from across Maryland descended on Annapolis Tuesday to fight against anĀ āabsurdā billĀ aimed at āusurpingā their authorities as elected prosecutors.
House Bill 857 would give Attorney General Anthony Brownās office the power to prosecute police officers who kill civilians, a power that currently rests with the stateās 24 elected stateās attorneys.
The attorney generalāsĀ Independent Investigations DivisionĀ already is required by law to investigate every police-caused death in the state and to issue a report on its findings as to whether criminal charges are possible. Those reports do not recommend charges one way or the other.
Brown told lawmakers Tuesday that his office ought to have the authority because it would increase the publicās confidence that the right decision had been made, and that officers were not avoiding prosecution because of personal relationships between prosecutors and the department, or for political purposes.
āThis bill is about ensuring public confidence in the prosecution decisions just like with investigationsā Brown said.
Lawmakers gave the attorney generalās office investigative authority two years ago when they passed theĀ Police Accountability Act, and sponsors of this yearās bill have said the plan all along was for the office to have prosecutorial powers also.
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