San Joaquin County adopts race-blind charging policy for criminal cases

San Joaquin County has become the second U.S. jurisdiction to adopt a "Race-Blind Charging" policy, which mandates that criminal charges be based solely on evidence, not race. This follows a California law that took effect on January 1. The new policy involves using software to redact identifying information from police reports. Prosecutors will review these redacted documents to decide on charges, ensuring race does not influence their decisions. District Attorney Ron Freitas noted that this approach aims to build trust in a diverse community. Other counties in California are now seeking guidance on implementing similar policies.