Stanislaus DA investigators to wear body cams, with goal of more transparency
While body-worn cameras have been used by law enforcement agencies for years, DA investigators are now starting to equip themselves, too.
On Monday, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced that it will become the 19th county to have its investigators don body-worn cameras. The office purchased 24 of them — one for each investigator.
DA’s Office investigators look into a wide range of crimes, but typically of the most serious nature. Homicides, shootings by officers and deputies, public corruption and white-collar crimes fall under their purview.
Terry Seese, chief investigator for the DA’s Office, said having his staff wear cameras will not only increase transparency and accountability but also enhance its evidence. It’s one thing for a jury to read a written report, but it’s another if they watch an investigator collect evidence or conduct an interview in the field.
This is especially useful, Seese said, during major crime investigations such as homicides. Ultimately, it’s up to a jury to decide whether a statement is true or not. But whether it’s a defendant or a witness, people’s statements in court sometimes don’t line up with what they said initially.
“When the dust settles, and the more time that’s allowed, people start rethinking their stories. … These cameras really are very, very helpful,” Seese said.
The videos themselves are stored in remote storage not operated by any law enforcement agency. No one can alter or delete the footage once it’s taken. The cloud storage is then used by prosecutors and the defense for discovery in a trial, according to Seese.
But body cameras for DA investigators aren’t just for prosecution. In cases where a law enforcement officer or deputy faces scrutiny over how a situation was handled, particularly during an officer-involved shooting, footage can either exonerate or implicate someone.
“I had been wearing a body-worn camera since 2011 and I saw the paradigm shift,” Seese said. “You know, nobody wanted them at first. … Six months later, eight months later, officers didn’t want to leave without them.”
Seese explained that deputies and officers felt both a sense of transparency and protection with cameras. If the footage was clear enough, there’s no way law enforcement could lie about what happened. At the same time, there would be no way anyone could lie about what an officer or deputy did.
“I wanted to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we’re law enforcement, and we’re part of this industry standard,’” said Seese. “The expectation is that they use them. You know, we have a policy just like every other agency.”
Use in domestic violence cases
When it comes to domestic violence, victims often are seen more than once by investigators and prosecutors.
Deputy District Attorney Vita Palazuelos, the main prosecutor for domestic violence cases, said it takes at least six times for victims to leave their abusers before they finally don’t return.
As part of the cycle of abuse, victims often change their stories or decide not to testify, out of fear of retribution. Following initial contact in a domestic violence call, DA’s Office investigators typically handle follow-ups. This can include talking to additional witnesses, collecting evidence and piecing together reports from different agencies or across time.
Palazuelos said that while footage from the initial contact is often the most crucial in her cases, the follow-ups can paint a picture and add context for a jury.
Injuries, especially bruises, can develop over time. Documentation of how these injuries progress can help a jury determine if they were caused by abuse as opposed to what a victim may say if the story changes. Videos can add even more context by showing how a victim explained the injuries, said Palazuelos.
“We want the jury to be able to see for themselves and make up their own opinion as to who they find credible and present the best available evidence,” she said.
Palazuelos explained that victims’ stories can change for a number of reasons, such as financial dependency, and that sometimes they express a desire to not press charges against their abuser — leading them to alter details about how they were injured.
However, the decision to press charges against someone is not up to the victim. While a victim’s opinions always are taken into consideration, it’s ultimately the DA’s Office’s decision to prosecute or not. Hopefully, Palazuelos said, more body camera evidence could help in continuing to prosecute a case if the victim becomes fearful.
“I couldn’t do my job as a DA prosecutor without our investigators,” said Palazuelos. “They’re just so crucial in getting all the evidence that we need for a successful jury trial.”
The body cameras are expected to cost about $97,000 over the next four years. The expense will be fully absorbed by the DA’s Office’s already existing budget, according to public documents and Seese.
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 8:47 AM.
