News: California Bail Reform

View excerpts and links to media stories related to the Bail Reform issue in the state of California. All news article link to their respective news sources.

Soros-backed DA’s own office union just sued him
Slapped with yet another lawsuit, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is in hot water again. This time, the embattled Soros-backed prosecutor’s own office is accusing him of withholding critical information – in violation of the state’s open records law – about a senior Gascón aide facing felony charges. The union representing the largest local prosecutorial office in the country alleges that Gascón is protecting his ethics chief currently charged with a slew of felonies.
Town Hall

‘Get out of jail fast’ polices drive up crime
Dear Editor, Headline after headline and year after year of annual statistics tell us that crime is out-of-control in Santa Monica, with sexual assaults the latest painful trend. Following a second late-August sexual assault at the beach by a homeless attacker SMPD reported three additional sex-crime arrests here, including two incidents of indecent exposure and a sex offender who failed to register.
Peter DiChellis

Gascón vs. Hochman: Very different takes on what LA’s district attorney should do
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón faces a difficult reelection battle against challenger Nathan Hochman, who has a far more traditional view of the DA’s role. Many see the the outcome of this race as a bellwether for the national criminal justice reform movement, which sent numerous progressive district attorneys into office following the George Floyd murder and BLM protests in 2020.
LAist

L.A. School Police Officers, management associations endorse Nathan Hochman for District Attorney
Two associations representing Los Angeles School Police Officers and Management endorsed Nathan Hochman, the former federal prosecutor and independent candidate for Los Angeles County District Attorney, citing his commitment to protecting school children and staff.
Nathan Hochman News Release

LA DA George Gascón stands by his progressive prosecutor ideals
In six weeks, Los Angeles County voters will decide the fate of District Attorney George Gascón. In 2020, he unseated incumbent Jackie Lacey in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests and a resurgent Black Lives Matter movement. Voters wanted a departure from tough-on-crime policies from someone who billed himself as a “progressive prosecutor.” Gascón previously had served as the San Francisco DA and was a long-time LAPD officer.
KCRW

Gascón vs. Hochman for DA
Who is Nathan Hochman? Hochman is a former federal prosecutor who for the past 24 years has mostly worked as a white collar criminal defense attorney. Unlike Gascón, Hochman is not interested in trying to bring about systemic change when it comes to how prosecutors function. He has promised to reverse all of the DA’s policies in favor of an approach he calls “the hard middle.”
LAist

Nathan Hochman is the champion crime victims need for Los Angeles County District Attorney
Crime shatters lives. Its devastation ripples through families, schools, places of worship, and our entire community. Los Angeles County deserves a district attorney who will protect the innocent, hold offenders accountable, and restore justice to our streets. Nathan Hochman is the right choice for this job. The contrast with George Gascón couldn’t be starker.
Kathy Cady

California Voters Strongly Back Proposition 36 to Increase Penalties for Low-Level Crimes
District attorneys support the measure, and it has also drawn support from Democratic mayors, including London Breed in San Francisco and Matt Mahan in San José. It’s opposed by criminal justice reform groups as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders, who pushed through a series of alternative laws aimed at tackling retail theft and offering an alternative to Proposition 36.
KQED

City leaders demand freeze of no-cash bail in LA County as crime spikes
This week, mayors and city leaders from a coalition of 29 cities in Los Angeles County gathered for a roundtable discussion to evaluate the impact of no-cash bail on local communities. In response to concerns, the leaders are advocating for a freeze on the program and a thorough examination before considering smart bail reform. No-cash bail, also known as pre-arraignment release protocols, prohibits the requirement of money bail before arraignment for most misdemeanors and certain felonies.
Fox 11

California crime rise sparks reckoning for district attorneys
Anti-crime activists are trying to recall progressive district attorneys in California, amid rising concerns about street crime. One Los Angeles-based former prosecutor told Newsweek that DA staff have become demoralized by policies that put repeat offenders back on the streets without having to post bail. Viral videos of thieves openly looting California stores has added to the sense of outrage.
Newsweek

Manhattan Beach joins lawsuit against Zero Bail
With little discussion, the Manhattan Beach City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to join a lawsuit against the L.A. County Superior Court’s controversial “zero bail” policy. The lawsuit, originally filed by the city of Whittier, began with 11 cities and is now up to 26. City staff reported that the cost of joining the lawsuit would be $10,000, but that cost may be lower if more cities join.
MB News

Woman released on LA’s zero bail charged with arson, attempted murder following series of fires
Jaclyn Wadley, a woman released on zero bail, now faces attempted murder charges following a series of fires in Los Angeles.
YouTube

Southland cities seek court order blocking LA County zero-bail
A dozen Southland cities filed an 11th-hour court action Friday in hopes of halting the implementation of a zero-bail system in Los Angeles County that will eliminate cash bail for most people arrested of nonviolent or nonserious crimes, allowing them to be released with a citation to appear in court at a later date. The zero-bail system is scheduled to take effect Sunday. But in court papers submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court Friday, 12 cities contend that the switch to zero-bail represents a threat to public safety.
City News Service

Oakland NAACP skewers city leaders for crime crisis: Defund police has created ‘heyday for criminals’

In a scathing letter shared on social media, Thursday, Oakland NAACP President Cynthia Adams and Bishop Bob Jackson, Senior Pastor of Acts Full Gospel Church, admonished city officials to “End Oakland’s public safety crisis” through declaring a state of emergency.
MSN

What is a Zero Bail policy? 50 Cent says Los Angeles is ‘finished’ after city reinstates controversial policy.

Rapper Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, recently asserted that Los Angeles is ‘finished’ after the reinstatement of the city’s controversial Zero Bail policy. The heavily criticized policy, which took effect in early May, drops bail to as low as $0 for suspects accused of misdemeanors and non-violent felonies.
FOX News

Data released last September by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services provided researchers at the Manhattan Institute with the necessary information to compare the rearrest rate for offenders prior to the state’s 2020 bail reform law with the rearrest rate after the law took effect. The intent of the bail reform law was to force judges to release more arrestees without bail, called Non-Monetary Release (NMR).
California Globe

Demoralizing the police hurts all of us

Despite calls to target police funding, politicians across America have been reversing course and voting for increases in police spending, with an extra $200 million added to the New York Police Department and a 3% hike to the LAPD’s budget. With police departments getting their money back, you’d think the calls to “Defund the Police” have failed. You’re wrong. While the crime fighting money is rolling in, there aren’t enough officers left to fight crime.
Todd Spitzer/District Attorney of Orange County

Mayor Bass calls for overhaul of LAPD discipline system, more detectives to work cases

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has laid out her priorities for the LAPD, calling on Police Chief Michel Moore to add detectives to boost crime clearance rates; shorten the time it takes to recruit, hire and train new officers; and overhaul a discipline system she said too often lets problem cops off the hook for misconduct.
Los Angeles Times

Suspects released on $0 Bail had twice the felony rearrests, three times the violent crime rearrests

Zero-dollar bail: It’s a controversial topic. Last year, a local study from the Yolo County DA’s office found 70% of suspects released on zero-dollar bail, reoffended. But were they *more likely* to re-offend? An updated study indicates the answer may be, yes. The new study compared the rearrest rate of suspects who were released without posting bail in Yolo County, to those who had to post bail.
CBS Sacramento

Mayor Bass calls for overhaul of LAPD discipline system, more detectives to work cases

LA District Attorney disbands victim impact program

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John McKinney announced that District Attorney George Gascón has disbanded the Victim Impact Program that handles abuse crimes. McKinney has been very vocal about his displeasure in how the office has been running under Gascón and it is being speculated by 2UrbanGirls that he will run against him in the 2024 election.
2UrbanGirls.com

New proposed legislation threatens public safety and further burdens police officers

The 2023 legislative session in Olympia doesn’t start till January 9th, but we’re already seeing what’s to come. This is based on bills that have already been filed by legislators who are looking to get a jump start. This comes at a time when many municipalities in our state are struggling with surging crime and recruiting and retaining quality officers. It’s increasingly clear that we will continue to see a legislative onslaught of policies that would provide fewer police, less enforcement, and more crime.
Law Enforcement Today

Freed Man Who “Should Never Be Allowed Into Society.” He Is Now Accused Of Murder in Sacramento
This past Sunday, a rapist who was released from prison decades early because of 2018 legislation was arrested for murdering a 60-year-old man who worked at a Sacramento board and care facility. Michael Xavier Bell, who is now 36 years old, had been out of custody for just 73 days.
By Michele Hanisee

Valladares’ bills to protect crime victims pass key committee

Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, announced that her bills to protect crime victims passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. Assembly Bill 1846 and AB 1847 “combat the reckless policies of Los Angeles (County) District Attorney George Gascón by breaking down barriers that make it harder for crime victims and their family members to be heard during parole or resentencing hearings,” said a prepared statement issued by Valladares’ office.
Suzette Martinez Valladares News Release

Campaign to recall Gascón reaches 200,000 signatures

The effort to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has reached a new milestone. Campaign organizers announced Thursday the effort has collected over 200,000 signatures and raised $4 million. In order to make it on the November 2022 ballot, recall organizers need to collect a total of 566,857 signatures by July 6 from registered voters in Los Angeles County. The 200,000 signatures show a notable increase from the 125,000 the campaign announced two weeks ago.
FOX11

Mounting bid against LA District Attorney Gascón mirrors DA recall effort in SF

When former San Francisco district attorney and police chief George Gascón was sworn in as Los Angeles County DA in December 2020, he promised to fix what he called a broken criminal justice system, one he said often victimized poor Black and Latino defendants without improving public safety. “LA is the poster child for the failed tough-on-crime approach,” he said at the time. “The status quo hasn’t made us safer.”
KQED

ADDA’s Eric Siddall on Spectrum One News (Video)

ADDA Vice President Eric Siddall appeared on Spectrum One News to discuss the recall campaign and other Gascon-related issues.
LA ADDA

SCV Chamber announces support for D.A. recall

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday its support for the recall of L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón, becoming one of the first business organizations in the county to do so. The decision, officials said in a statement, reflects the fact that public safety is a key public policy priority for the chamber. “We know this is a bold move and a unique move by the SCV Chamber,” said Hunt Braly, co-chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Council, via a statement sent out Wednesday.
The Signal

Jonathan Hatami | L.A., we can do so much better

It has now been over a year since George Gascón became the DA of Los Angeles. And, in just that short time, homicides have risen to a 15-year high. We see smash-and-grab burglaries, follow-home robberies, violent crime and gun violence on an almost daily basis. The unhoused crisis is only getting worse, and Gascón’s policies have only exacerbated this tragedy. Gascón promised reforms.
Jonathan Hatami/L.A. County District Attorney’s Office

Valladares’ bills to protect crime victims pass key committee

Residents demanding change as string of thefts plagues Southland

Southern California residents, distressed by a string of thefts stretching back over recent years. The most recent incident, at a TJ Maxx in Fontana, was caught on camera by another patron’s cellphone. It showed three women storming the front entrance of the store, ripping purses and other merchandise directly off of the rack – security wires and all. “It was real fast,” he said, detailing the events to CBS reporters Friday evening.
CBS Los Angeles

Selling Sunset stars rocked by armed robbery outside West Hollywood office

The cast of Selling Sunset have been left shaken after an armed robbery took place outside of their office in West Hollywood, Los Angeles on Thursday. A man was forced to hand over his luxury watch after a thief approached him with a gun as he left a restaurant in the same parking lot as The Oppenheim Group offices. Company founder Jason Oppenheim spoke just hours after the incident occurred, and revealed that he has now banned his glamorous staff from wearing flashy watches and expensive jewels as a precaution.
Express Informer

Petty thieves plague San Francisco. ‘These last two years have been insane.’

Terry Asten Bennett’s family has been running Cliff’s Variety Store since 1936. In all that time, they’ve never experienced the amount of burglaries and property damage that they have recently, Ms. Bennett said. Thieves smashed a display window and broke down a door to steal items as small as spray paint, and people shattered glass doors on two occasions for no apparent reason. “These last two years have been insane,” she said. “It used to be a rare occurrence.”
Wall Street Journal

‘Crime tourism’ bringing burglary crews from South America to Hillsborough, other CA communities

Law enforcement agencies call it “crime tourism” – groups of thieves from South America traveling to California to burglarize homes. Surveillance video released by Hillsborough police shows a burglary crew believed to be from South America targeting a luxury home. It’s just one in a series of crimes involving burglars from out of the country, hitting homes in affluent communities up and down the state.
ABC7

Robberies spike in LA (Video)

Officials report a rise in robberies across the city. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
NBC4

How bad is crime in L.A.? Here are the numbers behind the mayoral race rhetoric

Crime was one of the big issues discussed Tuesday during a debate by the top candidates running for mayor of Los Angeles. While many of the candidates talked about an uptick in crime, billionaire businessman Rick Caruso gave a particularly dark view of public safety. “Everybody in this city – at every corner of the city, no matter where you live, what your background is – is scared to walk out their doors. Everybody is worried about crime, is worried about their children going to school,” Caruso said.
Los Angeles Times

Shocking moment LA murder suspect is filmed MUGGING woman and trying to carjack driver during chase

Helicopter footage captured the terrifying moment a woman walking her dogs in LA was mugged by a murder suspect who was being chased by police. The unnamed suspect was filmed yanking a blue purse from the frightened woman on Sunday, before trying to grab the door handle of a passing SUV in an attempted carjacking – only for the driver of that vehicle to speed off before they could come to any harm.
Daily Mail

New video: Smash-and-grab robbers use sledgehammers on Beverly Hills store

New video captured by bystanders showed a group of assailants using what appeared to be sledgehammers to smash a Beverly Hills jewelry store’s windows before snatching the jewelry on display and running Tuesday. Police were investigating and the chief said he was adding a camera trailer, extra security patrols, and an extra special watch from officers in the 200 block of South Beverly Drive. Beverly Hills police said about five robbers rolled up in a stolen vehicle, and then used sledgehammers to smash the windows of a jewelry store.
NBC4

California’s progressives are in retreat

“I’m asking myself, ‘What the hell is going on?’” said Gavin Newsom to the assembled cameras, “It looked like a third-world country.” California’s progressive governor was in his state’s largest city because of a piece of viral content: images of railway tracks in East Los Angeles strewn with thousands of emptied Amazon packages. It’s easy to see why the images of the debris, a very pandemic-era combination of online shopping and urban lawlessness, received heavy play on local news and spread far and wide across the web.
UnHerd

Liberal DA faces backlash for letting hate crime suspect walk with misdemeanor
U.S. Congressional Republican candidate for California Elizabeth Heng says San Franciscans are ‘frustrated’ with rising crime.
MSN

Running the Office into the Ground
Confidence in Gascón is in short supply. In fact, thirty-one cities voted no confidence on his policies. One of them, Manhattan Beach is willing to pay an additional $300,000 to not have the District Attorney prosecute its misdemeanor cases.
By Eric W. Siddall

String of smash-and-grab thefts in California continues at Los Angeles Nordstrom store
Thieves rushed into a Southern California Nordstrom store the night before Thanksgiving and ran off with pricey goods in the latest of a string of organized retail thefts. Five people, one wearing an orange wig, entered the open store shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Westfield Topanga Mall in the Canoga Park area of Los Angeles, took seven or eight expensive purses and fled in a grey Ford Mustang, police said.
CBS News

Criminals Pillage Where ‘Lax On Crime’ DAs Rule
Some people have blamed this crisis on Proposition 47, the 2014 statewide referendum that reclassified many felony theft offenses as misdemeanors. While petty retail theft skyrocketed more than 20 percent soon after Prop 47, the law isn’t the only problem. There’s clearly something else going on. It’s the leadership.
ADDA Association of Deputy District Attorneys

San Francisco Chronicle blasted for asking if residents should ‘tolerate burglaries’
Readers were stunned when the San Francisco Chronicle asked if residents should “tolerate burglaries” amid rampant city crime in a Friday tweet. “Residents and city leaders are searching for answers: should they tolerate burglaries as a part of city living and focus on barricading homes?
MSN

Transient Parolee Sexually Assaults, Murders Woman, Kills Her Dogs before Lighting Sacramento Home on Fire
A “homeless” transient guy out on the streets despite his recent violation of parole, has been arrested for raping and murdering a Sacramento woman in the Land Park neighborhood Friday, killing her dogs and setting her house on fire. Troy Davis, 51, a parolee at large, was also let out on zero bail in June for stealing a car, even with his long history of violent crimes, and having recently been in prison for a violent felony.
California Globe

Why crime has spikedThroughout the last decade, Governor Gavin Newsom and his predecessor effectively nullified laws that were passed to get tough on crime and to make us safer. Three strikes laws have been gutted, truth in sentencing has been eliminated and certain crimes have been downgraded and recategorized. Newsom offered early release to 76,000 existing prisoners, including 63,000 serving time for violent crime and at least 20,000 prisoners serving life sentences.
Coastal View

Has the criminal justice pendulum swung too far?California was once tough on crime. If you violated the law, it meant jail time. There were real consequences to criminal behavior. If you broke the law, there was a punishment. If you broke the law and used in gun or beat the victim or belonged to a criminal gang, you would spend more time in jail. Like everything else in California, the attitude of elected officials and Hollywood elites has put the right of the criminals above the victim’s rights.
California Globe

DAs, crime victims sue to stop early release of violent prison inmatesSome California district attorneys at a Wednesday press conference in Sacramento welcomed crime victims who have joined a lawsuit to stop what they believe is the early release of serious and violent felons from prisons. Organized by Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, the 50-minute press conference, in-person and via Zoom, began with her citing a just-released CBS news poll showing that nearly 70 percent of respondents said crime was “a very important issue” and 26 percent called it “somewhat important.”
Times Herald

Mother of murdered son pleads to recall Los Angeles County DA George Gascon: ‘I am begging’The policies of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon have walked him right into the danger zone of a recall as city residents fight for a fair and balanced justice system. Desiree Andrade, whose son was brutally murdered in 2018, organized the “Recall George Gascon” movement after the DA’s policies allowed her son’s killers to have their sentences reduced.
Fox News

DA rejecting most drug cases, city saysMore than 90% of narcotics involved cases taken to the District Attorney’s Office this year have been rejected, according to a report made at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. At its meeting this week, the City Council was given insight as to how the city has fared under the controversial directives of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, who was elected last year. According to the report – which was presented by Police Captain Leslie Murray – Downey has seen the most impact when it comes to misdemeanor cases.
The Downey Patriot

Gascón policies discussed at council meetingOn Tuesday night, the Glendale City Council took up two hefty issues for relatively long discussions. The council extensively debated a report from the police department critical of several policy directives issued by newly elected District Attorney George Gascon. Specifically, Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis and Captain Robert Williams reported on the negative impact of three of the DA’s new edicts, noting a “slight uptick in the crime rate” in the city (overall crime is up 3%, violent crime up 13%, grand thefts up approximately 50%, they shared), coupled with the ongoing impact of the pandemic in delaying the courts in processing a backlog of cases.
Crescenta Valley Weekly

Cash bail issue the key to state’s second-biggest recallJust in case George Gascon, the embattled district attorney of Los Angeles County, wonders why recall fever has made him the No. 2 target among California officials, he need look no farther than cash bail. No, Gascon did not order his almost 1,000 deputies to stop seeking cash bail for all defendants. Rather, he ordered them not to try for it on those accused of misdemeanors, “non-serious” felonies or nonviolent felonies.
Napa Valley Register

Palmdale looks at prosecuting misdemeanorsThe City Council agreed to start the process to conduct a feasibility study to have the City Attorney’s office take on prosecution of a greater number of misdemeanor offenses, as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has stopped filing charges in many such cases. The Council on Tuesday voted unanimously for the study, which City Attorney Christopher Beck reported is estimated to cost between $65,000 and $75,000, and no more than $85,000.
Antelope Valley Press

California homeless man arrested three times in three days because of ‘Zero-Dollar’ bail, police sayA 23-year-old homeless man was arrested Wednesday for stealing a truck outside a Los Angeles-area police station immediately after being released, making it his third brush with the law in as many days because of a county policy that releases suspects accused of non-violent low-level felonies and misdemeanors without bail. All the arrests occurred in Glendale, located 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
Fox News

Mother blames Houston bail reforms for daughter’s murderChallenging a settlement that led to bail reforms in Texas’ largest county, a mother filed a federal lawsuit against the county and several judges for instituting the changes she says are to blame for her daughter’s murder. On behalf of the estate of her daughter Caitlynne Guajardo, Melanie Infinger sued Harris County, 10 magistrates who set bail at probable-cause hearings and 16 misdemeanor court judges in Houston federal court late Tuesday.
Courthouse News Service

Hollywood elites leave a trail of suffering and increased crime in California In 2014, these Hollywood elites, along with Gavin Newsom, labor unions, and Democrats across California sponsored, funded, and helped pass Proposition 47 – the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, and in 2016, Proposition 57. Prop. 47 was not about making neighborhoods safe. In fact, it did just the opposite, and now we are paying the price. Prop. 47 was about reducing the prison population at all costs, even if it meant putting some of the most dangerous criminals on the street.
California Globe

Poll: Majority of voters say more police are needed amid rise in crime A vast majority of voters say more police are needed on the street amid concerns over a rise in violent crime across the country, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey. Seventy-five percent of respondents said more police are needed on the street while only 25 percent say they do not need more cops on the beat.
The Hill

Homicide rise continues in major US cities, report saysThe number of homicides continues to rise in major American cities following a year that saw a record increase in homicides across the country, according to a report published Thursday by the Council on Criminal Justice. A study of homicides during the first six months of this year in 22 cities showed that the number of murders increased by 16% compared to the same period in 2020 and by 42% compared to the first six months of 2019.
CNN

Gascon recall petition hits 175K signatures, cites survey indicating support for recallWhile proponents for recalling Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón say they are continuously increasing the number of signatures they have gathered for the petition, anti-recall officials contend the signature drive is still “trailing far behind.” Recall supporters also said Wednesday that a July survey shows strong public support for the effort to oust the district attorney from office.
The Signal

Facing possible recall, Los Angeles district attorney underwater in latest pollLos Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon would lose a recall election if it were held today, according to a late July poll commissioned by a group that is trying to make such an outcome possible. By nearly 40 percentage points – 61.4% to 21.5% – voters said they would prefer someone other than Mr. Gascon to serve as the top prosecutor in California’s most populous county, the survey conducted by J. Wallin Opinion Research found.
Washington Times

Recall Gascón rally draws residents, law enforcement officials to Central ParkApproximately 150 people gathered in an open field at Central Park on Thursday to call for Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s recall, with the prosecutor’s critics saying that he has “sided with criminals over victims.” During the evening, several dignitaries from across the legal system made appearances and speeches in the park, from Sheriff Alex Villanueva to Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami to Santa Clarita City Council members, among others.
The Signal

Has the criminal justice pendulum swung too far?
17 Walgreen locations in San Francisco have closed their doors within the last five years according to a report from the SF Chronicle. Ten of these closures transpired from 2019 to this year with the last Walgreens store to close its door as of this writing, back on March 17. The cause of the closures is due to rampant shoplifting and looting that has transpired at Walgreen locations in the city believed to be perpetuated by an organized crime ring.
San Francisco News

Ideology, not data, drives DA’s pro-criminal crusade
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón says that “science and data” justify his criminal justice policies, including his decision to eliminate sentencing enhancements and abandon the three strikes law. According to Gascón, scientific evidence unequivocally confirms that longer sentences harm public safety by boosting repeat offenses.
ADDA

LA County DA George Gascón details plans for new crime reduction division
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Tuesday formally announced a reorganization of the vaunted Hardcore Gang Unit to reduce crime in troubled neighborhoods. The disbanded unit will be replaced by the newly established Community Violence Reduction Division, which will be staffed by experienced prosecutors who will collaborate with the Los Angeles Police Department and other community partners, Gascón said in a statement.
Orange County Register

He brought down his 10 commandments… it’s not working’: L.A. Sheriff bashes leftist L.A. County DA
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva blasted leftist Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, snapping, “He brought down his 10 Commandments, the tablets from the mountain, his special directives, and expects the entire world to go with it, somehow it’s going to work. Well, it’s not working.” He added that he had only spoken to Gascón once since Gascón was sworn in as DA last December, adding, “We want him to be successful, but it can’t come at the expense of public safety and at the expense of victims of crime. That’s where I have to draw that firm line in the sand.”
The Daily Wire

Gascon’s downsizing of gang unit draws criticism, confusion
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón says he’s going to fundamentally change the way the largest prosecutor’s office in the nation handles gang crime. After weeks of rumors that he would eliminate the office’s Hardcore Gang unit – long a treasured spot for veteran prosecutors hoping to take on some of the most violent crimes in Southern California – Gascón finally confirmed Tuesday the unit would be reduced in size, renamed and reorganized.
Los Angeles Times

Judge admits he’s not ‘up to speed’ on new bail case law, delays bail decision
The recent California Supreme Court ruling, In re Humphrey, has made it mandatory a judge must consider a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail amounts – with certain exceptions, like public safety. At least one California judge had admitted he is unsure of how to rule in consideration of a case. On Monday morning in Sacramento County Superior Court, Judge Jeffrey Goodman had a bail hearing for Michael Chipman who has charges stemming from two different cases, possession of a firearm, and robbery and assault.
The Davis Vanguard

‘Criminal Justice Reform Needed,’ Victims,’ Families Say At Rally
The parents of Orange County murder victims joined prosecutors and crime victims Monday calling for criminal justice reform during a rally for victims of violent crime. The crowd gathered at the annual victim’s rights rally sponsored by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Steve Herr, the father of Sam Herr, whose killer, Daniel Wozniak, was sentenced to death, said he felt relief after jurors reached verdicts 6 1/2 years after his son’s murder.
Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Bid to end cash bail system fails in California
Californians soundly rejected a ballot measure that would have put an end to the bail system, with statewide results Wednesday showing it down by 11 points. Unofficial results provided by the California Secretary of State show Proposition 25 tanked in nearly every county outside the Bay Area, with the exception of Yolo County and Alpine County. The statewide vote tally stood at 44.6% to 55.4% Wednesday.
Courthouse News Service

California DA blasts Newsom’s leadership: ‘The blood of the children … is on your hands’
The Fresno County district attorney condemned California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s changes to the state’s bail policies amid COVID-19, in light of a recent crime spike. Newsom, who has made efforts to reform California’s criminal justice system while in office, initiated the release of thousands of nonviolent state inmates starting in April and announced in September that he would be closing a state prison next year.
Fox News

ADDA President Michele Hanisee debates California’s Proposition 20
ADDA President Michele Hanisee debated Lenore Anderson on the merits of Proposition 20. Proposition 20 expands the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option. Under 2014’s Prop. 47, rape of an unconscious person, trafficking a child for sex, assault of a peace officer, felony domestic violence and other similar crimes are not classified as “violent felonies” – making criminals convicted of these crimes eligible for early release under Proposition 57.
NBC4 Los Angeles

Rampant shoplifting leads to another Walgreens closing in S.F.
After months of seeing its shelves repeatedly cleaned out by brazen shoplifters, the Walgreens at Van Ness and Eddy in San Francisco is getting ready to close. “The last day is Nov. 11,” Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso said. The drugstore, which serves many older people who live in the Opera Plaza area, is the seventh Walgreens to close in the city since 2019.
San Francisco Chronicle

Lawlessness in San Francisco blamed on District Attorney Chesa Boudin
The San Francisco Marina Times has a story about a meth-addicted homeless vagrant who was caught on video surveillance in August burgling a commercial building in the Mission District. Members of the San Francisco Police Department recognized the guy and actually knew exactly where he camped.
California Globe

Man charged in four felony car thefts during COVID-19 pandemic
A South Gate man has been charged in four separate felony cases with stealing cars and hit-and-run resulting in injury over a two-month span after getting re-arrested and released, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office News Release

Shasta County law enforcement concerned about early inmate release
About 17,000 inmates in California will be released to cut the spread of coronavirus. By the end of this month, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation expects to release about 8000 inmates. But this move has law enforcement in Shasta County concerned. “They’re dumping a bunch of the prisoners out of the prisons and back into our communities,” said Chief Michael Johnson of the Anderson Police Department.
Action News Now

California won’t say why violent criminals are walking free from potential life sentences
For weeks, CBS13 has been pressing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for transparency on the early inmate releases. Now the office says because of privacy laws, they will not tell the public why a woman serving a life prison sentence for murder is free, or even where she is.
CBS13 Sacramento

California Proposition 25: Replacing cash bail with risk assessments
Currently, California uses a cash bail system, for those awaiting trial in jail. But, many advocacy groups have long criticized cash bail, arguing it targets low income people who aren’t able to pay these bonds. In 2016, California Senator Robert Hertzberg introduced Senate Bill 10, or SB 10 – a bill that would end cash bail in California and replace it with a “risk assessment” system based on the likelihood that the person awaiting trial will fail to appear in court.
KALW San Francisco

District attorneys say victims are not being heard ahead of convicted inmates’ early release
What about the victims? That’s what local district attorneys are asking the state after two people facing life in prison were released this week in Yolo County over COVID-19 concerns. The state says they need to protect the inmates and staff from COVID-19 and mitigate the spread. But some say that comes at a cost: the victims’ voice.
CBS Sacramento

LAPD: More cars being stolen this year; many recovered near where they were taken
Between a pandemic and an economic recession, Los Angeles residents have much to worry about these days. Add this to the list: Having their cars disappear without a trace. Thousands more vehicles already have been stolen in the city this year compared to years past, and police are puzzling over why.
Los Angeles Daily News

George Soros backed D.A.s are undermining American justice
The fox is guarding the henhouse in too many prosecutors offices in America and people who abhor police are hoping to further expand their power in upcoming elections. We have liberal billionaire George Soros to thank for much of it. This is a partial list of Soros backed prosecutors undermining American justice: Kim Gardner – St. Louis County, Kim Foxx – Cook County, Chesa Boudin – San Francisco, Larry Krasner – Philadelphia, Diana Becton – Contra Costa County.
Law Officer

LA Times’ anti-LAPD bias shines through
In the LA media-sphere, no outlet seemingly relishes its anti-LAPD bias more than the struggling LA Times, most recently demonstrated by its knowingly dishonest story about a recent pro-LAPD rally outside of the agency’s headquarters in downtown LA. That story, by Times’ law enforcement reporter Cindy Chang (who has a law degree), was titled, “Amid a national movement to defund the police, LAPD officers stage a protest of their own.”
CityWatch

‘Serious offenders’ being released from prison into community, Hemet chief says
Hemet Police Department Chief Eddie Pust said Wednesday hardened criminals will be paroled early under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus emergency releases and crime will rise in the city and elsewhere as a result. “Communities throughout California were told that decompression measures are taking place in the California prison system to provide health and safety to the incarcerated population,” Pust said in a public statement
NBC LA

Man charged with over a dozen car thefts during COVID-19 pandemic
A Huntington Park man has been charged in four separate felony cases with stealing more than a dozen cars in Los Angeles and surrounding areas between March and June after getting re-arrested and released, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Jose Enrique Esquivel aka Jose Esquibel faces a total of 14 felony counts.
CityWatch

Amid coronavirus pandemic, LAPD reports 14% increase in homicides compared to last year
Homicides in Los Angeles are spiking this year and the Los Angeles Police Department is checking to see if the coronavirus pandemic is playing a part in that rise. LAPD Chief Michel Moore this week said the city has seen 157 murders so far this year, compared to 138 for the same period last year. That’s a 14% rise, but Moore says it’s too early to directly connect that increase to the pandemic.
ABC7 Los Angeles

Prosecutors, advocates differ over $0 bail COVID-19 rule
As California continues its phased reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Judicial Council of California voted to end its $0 bail emergency order. The order set bail at $0 for people accused of lower-level crimes as a way to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus in county jails and prevent overcrowding. On Wednesday, the judicial council voted 17-2 to rescind the order, effective June 20.
KCRA

Ventura County law enforcement requested the state make changes to a temporary rule lowering bail during the pandemic.
Ventura County law enforcement leaders requested the state make changes to a temporary rule lowering bail during the pandemic, claiming its effect has increased certain crimes. The COVID-19 outbreak has prompted several emergency rules from the California Judicial Council, the policy-making arm of the courts system, in order to limit the spread of the virus.
Ventura County Star

Criminals taking advantage of California’s zero-bail order
Police Criminals get caught and police have to let them go only to have to bust them again days, or even hours later. That is the dangerous pattern police in the East Bay worry is about to spike – and they blame California’s zero cash bail mandate for causing it. But public defenders said crowded jails where COVID-19 can spread rapidly are a threat too.
NBC Bay Area

Six sex offenders whose early release was criticized by Orange County DA are arrested again
A half dozen sex offenders whose early release from local lockup for parole violations drew condemnation from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer are back behind bars after authorities allege they once again broke the terms of their release. Spitzer in earlier interviews on local and national news outlets and a statement to the public sharply criticized the decision by a court commissioner to release seven “high-risk” sex offenders for time served.
Orange County Register

Keeping California Safe Act: Riverside County supes endorse
In a 4-1 vote, Riverside County supervisors Tuesday endorsed a measure on the November ballot that seeks to “fix the unintended consequences” of previously voter-approved criminal justice reform initiatives. “This is a common sense approach,” District Attorney Mike Hestrin told the Board of Supervisors concerning the Keeping California Safe Act of 2020.
City News Service

Criminals taking advantage of California’s zero-bail order: Police
Criminals get caught and police have to let them go only to have to bust them again days, or even hours later. That is the dangerous pattern police in the East Bay worry is about to spike – and they blame California’s zero cash bail mandate for causing it. But public defenders said crowded jails where
NBC Bay Area

Arrested 4 times in 3 weeks: L.A. police blame zero bail for rise in repeat offenders
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, shown Jan. 15, said while crime in L.A. is down in almost all categories since the pandemic began, career criminals are exploiting the situation, getting arrested over and over with no real consequences.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Child abusers eligible for immediate release under California’s new $0 cash bail emergency mandate
Fox11 Los Angele

Released with zero bail, car-theft suspect allegedly reoffends — twice
Enterprise – By Lauren Keene
A Woodland auto theft suspect released from Yolo County Jail under California’s emergency zero-bail order found himself back in custody on multiple felony charges this week, including allegations that he stole two more cars, using one to lead police on a high-speed pursuit. Jacob Dakota James’ alleged crimes prompted the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office to issue a news release Monday about the reoffense, announcing new charges of vehicle theft, looting, evading police, resisting arrest and violating a public health order.

Released with zero bail, car theft suspect allegedly reoffends – twice

A Woodland auto theft suspect released from Yolo County Jail under California’s emergency zero-bail order found himself back in custody on multiple felony charges this week, including allegations that he stole two more cars, using one to lead police on a high-speed pursuit. Jacob Dakota James’ alleged crimes prompted the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office to issue a news release Monday about the reoffense, announcing new charges of vehicle theft, looting, evading police, resisting arrest and violating a public health order.

Davis Enterprise

Video – Thugs in San Fran loot cosmetics store after “no arrest” policy
KRPC AM 950
Democrats in San Francisco have made theft under $950 a misdemeanor & cops won’t even arrest you for the crime. Not surprisingly, this has had very predictable results. It turns out if you tell people they won’t get arrested for stealing, it’s like a free pass to go shopping.

Californians suffering the consequences of Prop 47
The Patriot Post
Bad ideas, no matter how popular or vociferously promoted, will inevitably lead to tragedy and ruin. Or, as the old adage states, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Back in 2014, Californians passed Proposition 47, a bill touted as a means to cut law-enforcement costs and free up funding for crime prevention and drug-treatment programs.

Chesa Boudin Invites Crime to San Francisco. So it’s No Surprise when Crime Rises
Pacific Research Institute

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is no crime fighter. He’s among the new breed of decline-to-prosecute prosecutors whose elections have been funded by George Soros (and his political machine). The uber-wealthy agitator is determined to use his multiple billions not to advance society but disrupt it. So far, it appears Soros’ efforts are paying off.

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