South Lake Tahoe police shooting center of appellate court hearing at UC Davis

Submitted by paula on Wed, 10/19/2016 - 9:32pm

The 3rd District Court of Appeal panel is taking their courtroom on the road October 26 when they hold appellate court hearings in front of UC Davis law students. One of the two cases they'll hear concerns a disagreement between the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department on how to investigate a fatal shooting by an officer.

The three-judge panel will hear arguments in the case of the People of the State of California v. the Superior Court of El Dorado County and the South Lake Tahoe Police Officers Association, et al., centering on a 2015 law that bans California grand juries from investigating fatal police shootings.

The El Dorado County district attorney argues the law is unconstitutional, and that he should be allowed to use a grand jury to decide whether to bring charges against South Lake Tahoe police for shooting and killing 22-year-old Kris Jackson as he fled the Tahoe Hacienda motel June 15, 2015. Attorneys for the city of South Lake Tahoe, its police chief and unions disagree, saying the district attorney should bring charges against the officer if he thinks the shooting was unjustified.

SLTPD Officer Justin Klinge remains on paid administrative leave pending a decision by the DA's office.