It’s “long overdue” to have someone other than the Sheriff’s-Coroner’s Office investigate in-custody deaths, according to Santa Barbara County leaders.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to support Assembly Bill 1108, which would require Santa Barbara and other counties with a joint sheriff-coroner to contract with an independent coroner or medical examiner, or other third-party provider.
That legislation, authored by Assemblyman Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara, is on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, and he has until Oct. 13 to sign it into law.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is run by elected Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown. It manages the Coroner’s Bureau, law enforcement operations and custody operations for the county’s two jails.
Last week, the supervisors discussed ways to improve medical and mental health care at the jails and expressed support for AB 1108. They were responding to Civil Grand Jury reports that found that better care and communication would have prevented recent in-custody deaths.
On Tuesday, they voted to send a letter to Newsom advocating for him to sign the bill into law. It would go into effect in 2027.
In-custody deaths are defined in the legislation as deaths of people who are in law enforcement custody, including county jails and other detention facilities; people who are detained, under arrest, or in the process of being detained or arrested; and people in a medical facility while in law enforcement custody.
The Civil Grand Jury called for independent investigators for in-custody deaths in a 2024 report, saying it was important to avoid any potential perceived conflict of interest.
The county’s letter to Newsom uses similar language: “This measure is necessary to eliminate real and perceived conflicts of interest that could arise when the same office that may have been involved with an in-custody fatality is also responsible for the subsequent death investigation. Requiring an independent autopsy process in these cases promotes impartiality, strengthens transparency and accountability, and aligns with nationally recognized best practices.”
The letter states that the legislation is “long overdue” and promotes public trust.
The 2024 Grand Jury Report said neighboring San Luis Obispo County uses a contractor for pathology and that Ventura County has a separate medical examiner department.
Hart’s Forensic Accountability, Custodial Transparency, and Safety (FACTS) Act of 2025 is supported by local groups. including the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, Northern Santa Barbara County United Way, the Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center, and Voces Sin Fronteras Lompoc, according to a Calmatters legislative database.
It has been opposed by organizations, including the California State Sheriffs’ Association and Kern County.