In a bid to eliminate unconscious bias against criminal suspects, San Joaquin County’s district attorney aims to have a policy fully in place by Friday that excludes race from any charging decisions.
District Attorney Ron Freitas says his office will be one of the state’s early adopters of “race-blind charging” as mandated by the Legislature. It requires that prosecutors go to extra lengths to exclude race when making a decision about whether to file criminal charges against suspects.
“I am proud we’re not just complying with the law; we’re setting the standard for justice in California,” Freitas said in a statement. “By early adopting race-blind charging, we’re ensuring our justice system operates without racial bias. I’m proud that San Joaquin County is leading the way, demonstrating our commitment to true equality.”
Race-blind charging works by redacting racial identifiers — such as the race of a potential defendant as well as their name and address — from crime reports and other documents that will be reviewed by prosecutors in order to make a decision about whether to file a criminal charge.
