Professor Joh Writes for Slate, Talks to L.A. Times About Lethal Police Robots

Professor Elizabeth Joh wrote a Dec. 11 essay for Slate on the topic of police using robots to deploy lethal force.

The piece, headlined “Police Are Not Going to Give Up on Killer Robots,” followed San Francisco supervisors’ controversial decision in late November to move forward with a plan for the SFPD to use robots to administer deadly force. Amid backlash, supervisors voted in early December to ban the practice for the time being.

Joh spoke to the Los Angeles Times for a Dec. 21 story about the LAPD’s planned purchase of a robot modeled after a dog to use in high-risk situations, and the opposition the plan has encountered.

On Dec. 22, Los Angeles Magazine mentioned Joh in reporting on the Los Angeles Times story, and a Newsweek opinion piece referenced Joh’s Slate essay.

Professor Joh's scholarship focuses on criminal law and procedure, with a special emphasis on the police use of new technologies. She is the recipient of King Hall’s 2017 Distinguished Teaching Award.