Becerra's caution may hurt his political future

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Few California Democrats have attracted more praise from the party's various constituencies than Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has led the state's charge against the administration of President Donald Trump with 47 lawsuits on issues including immigration and health care.

But in recent months, Becerra has come under criticism from progressives and civil rights leaders for his reluctance to support legislative checks on police use of force. That could have ramifications for an ambitious politician who seems primed for higher offices.

On Tuesday, Becerra announced that his office would not seek criminal charges against two Sacramento police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man.

While that decision was not unexpected, it built on another recent controversy in which Becerra was sued by civil rights groups for not releasing use-of-force records. He later outraged many progressive allies by threatening legal action over police misconduct