Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), submitted written testimony to the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in support of Senate Bill (SB) 178, which would amend the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) and permit the release of records relating to police misconduct investigations and disciplinary decisions. LDF supports this bill because it promotes the transparency that is an essential component of accountability. SB 178 appropriately recognizes the public’s interest in transparency in law enforcement officers’ misconduct complaint histories and permits access to administrative or criminal investigatory records subject to reasonable limitations that balance the rights of officers and the interests of the public.
Read the full submitted testimony here.
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.