Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed a police department’s civilian employees to provide hearsay testimony at preliminary hearings.
The Sept. 20 veto message questioned the fairness of the proposal.
“The bill raises concerns about the reliability of evidence presented at a critical stage of criminal proceedings, in which decisions are made regarding whether probable cause exists to charge defendants with felonies…” Newsom wrote.
The bill “may reduce the reliability of the preliminary hearing process and diminish public trust in the fairness of our legal system,” Newsom continued.
California Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) authored the bill.
“Law enforcement and legal
