NEW RULING FROM THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON HOW POLICE DO THEIR JOBS, COMMUNITY GROUPS SAY IT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP TO PREVENT OVERPOLICING, BUT SOME POLICE UNIONS SAY IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR POLICE TO DO THEIR JOBS. ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER ANSER HASSAN WITH MORE A NEW RULING BY THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT MAY CHANGE HOW POLICE INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC. >> I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION. >> SUJIN KIM IS A MANAGING ATTORNEY AT THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE. SHE SAYS WITH THIS RULING, THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA'S FINALLY RECOGNIZING INSTANCES OF OVERPOLICING, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FOR, YOU KNOW, INNOCENT BEHAVIOR, FOR JUST BEING IN THE A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND CHARACTERIZED AS, CRIMINAL, THE COURT IS FINDING IT, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FACT ON THURSDAY, THE COURT RULED TO RESTRICT GROUNDS UNDER WHICH POLICE CAN STOP AND HOLD PEOPLE FOR QUESTIONING. >> IT STEMS FROM THE CASE. THE PEOPLE VERSUS MARLON FLORES. >> THE ONLY THING HE DID WAS HE WAS STANDING BY A CAR AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, IN AN AREA THAT THE POLICE DEEMED TO BE HIGH CRIME AREA AND WOULD NOT WAS SEEMING TO AVOID POLICE INTERACTION. >> THE COURT RULED THAT POLICE CAN'T DETAIN SOMEONE ON THE STREET JUST BECAUSE THAT PERSON TRIES TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THEM. IN HER OPINION, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE CAROL CORRIGAN WRITES, BEFORE AN OFFICER CAN COMPEL COMPLIANCE WITH THE SHOW OF AUTHORITY, ARTICULABLE FACTS MUST SUPPORT A REASONABLE SUSPICION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH FACTS, THE PERSON IS CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED AND EMPOWERED TO GO ON HIS OR HER WAY. IN AN EMAIL TO ABC SEVEN NEWS, TRACY MCCRAY, PRESIDENT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, WRITES, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CALIFORNIA'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKING TO PROTECT CRIMINALS. SHE WRITES, OBSERVING THE ACTIONS OF THOSE WE ENCOUNTER IS A CRITICAL PART OF POLICE WORK AND HAS NEVER BEEN GROUNDS ALONE FOR AN ARREST. >> OBVIOUSLY, POLICE OFFICERS DO HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION ON THE STREETS. THEY STILL DO HAVE A LOT OF LEEWAY. THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN INTERPRET REASONABLE SUSPICION. >> DOCTOR FRANCIS RAMOS IS WITH COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR RESTORATIVE YOUTH JUSTICE OR COURAGE. SHE'S ENCOURAGED BY THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE, AS SHE POINTS OUT, A ROUTINE POLICE STOP CAN QUICKLY ESCALATE INTO A PAT DOWN OR DETENTION. >> WE ARE GOING UP AGAINST SOMEBODY WHO IS ARMED AND WHO WE HAVE SEEN HAS THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE STATE BEHIND THEM IN TERMS OF TREATING THE AVERAGE PERSON, HOWEVER, THEY
