Defendants are regularly condemned to years, decades, or life in prison for minor infractions because of minimum sentencing statutes. If judges had more discretion in sentencing, then sentences could be more proportional to the crime, more specific to the individual defendant, and minimize the negative impact of minimum sentencing laws without inherently needing those laws repealed.
“Court documents obtained by the Associated Press show Governor Jerry Brown will not seek to appeal a September court ruling in support of Proposition 57, meaning that the 2016 ballot measure weakening the Three Strikes Law can soon take effect. As many as 4,000 non-violent prisoners will be eligible for release under the new regulations, which the state will begin crafting in January, the AP reports.“
Pacific Standard
October 19, 2018
Read More“Judges are entrusted to provide equal justice and protect the rights of all people. In criminal prosecutions, where the stakes are highest, that includes upholding due process and giving full meaning to the presumption of innocence. Under SB 10, it is judges who now, more than ever, must ensure that California’s pretrial justice system lives up to these ideals.“
Sacramento Bee
September 25, 2018
Read More"Perhaps it should not be surprising that the Judicial Council, which initially was a major opponent of bail reform, now supports the new bill, since it gives unprecedented power to judges. Rather than relying on a risk assessment tool, judges would have the power to detain people based on their subjective determination."
The Sacramento Bee
August 13, 2018
Read More"SB 1393, also known as the Fair and Just Sentencing Reform Act, reinstates judicial discretion in applying five-year sentence enhancements for prior serious felonies to cases involving a defendant charged with a serious felony."
Park Labrea News
May 24, 2018
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