A state appeals court says Oakland must release records it has withheld about its investigation of police officers who had sex with a teenage abuse victim, and the suicide of one of those officers.

L.A. County’s improved pretrial justice program should erase the twin failures of the current system: parceling out liberty based on wealth, which is a violation of the guarantee of equal protection, and imposing punishment without trial, a violation of the presumption of innocence and the guarantee of due process.

Under CARE -- which stands for Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment -- the court, family and others can file a petition in civil court if they believe a loved one is suffering from severe symptoms of an untreated psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.

CARE Court will soon be in session. In about a week, San Diego and six other counties will begin accepting petitions to participate in California’s newest court program.