In the last day of the Michigan legislative session, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed Senate Bill 647 into law. The bill is designed to "restrict the use and disclosure" of statements made by law enforcement officials. According to the bill, statements made by police officers in internal investigations--such as those deal with cases of police brutality--would be kept confidential and would not be disclosed to the public or the media. The bill contains multiple provisions that would keep statements restricted even if they were used in legal proceedings and in some cases would give police officers the authority to determine if their statements should be made public or not. Supporters of the bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives, argued that the bill was needed because police officers can be compelled to answer questions in internal investigations at the risk of losing their jobs and that consequently police officers should be allowed the same Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination as private citizens. However, such statements cannot be used in criminal proceedings, making it difficult to hold officers accountable for their actions. The bill’s practical effect will likely be that police departments around Michigan will operate with even less oversight and accountability to the public, by both restricting access to statements and also providing another vehicle--like the unofficial "Code of Silence" many police officers use to protect each other in cases of misconduct--through which police officers can place themselves "above the law" and justify brutality.