Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill is asking police officers who testify in court about their history of “truthfulness, biases and disciplinary history.” Officers will now have to complete a questionnaire before they testify, and relevant information will be given to defense attorneys.
It’s a great idea, but Gill is a little late to the party. The City Weekly reported on the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer’s “bad cop” database in 2015. Davis County District Attorney Troy Rawlings has required officers to answer such questions since 2014. The Department of Justice also has a similar policy.