A peace officer’s personnel records are conditionally privileged from discovery. To obtain an officer’s personnel records, the party seeking disclosure must file a written motion under Evidence Code Sections 1043, et seq.

An Overview of the ‘Pitchess’ Motion

A motion for disclosure of peace officer personnel records is colloquially referred to as a “Pitchess” motion in reference to the California Supreme Court’s ruling in Pitchess v. Superior Court.