California,  Election 2006,  Law,  Politics

California Three Strikes Law Watch: Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten Criticizes Three Strikes Reform Act of 2006

March 29, 2006 /

Ventura County Star: 3 strikes law reform bill is criticized

County DA says it would pose a great risk to public

Ventura County’s top prosecutor said he is satisfied with California’s “three strikes” law, and criticized a proposed ballot measure that would limit 25-to-life terms to only serious or violent crimes.County District Attorney Greg Totten said the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2006, which is co-sponsored by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, would pose a great risk to the public.

Flap is satisified with the “three strikes” law as well. The more criminals kept away from society the better. Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles County District Attorney seems more concerned with freeing criminals from his overcrowded jails than protecting the public.

The Repeat Criminal Offender/Three Strikes Fair Sentencing Act of 2006 is here.

The Three Strikes Reform Act of 2006 is here.

The current California Three Strikes law is here.

Cooley, who is pushing the measure for the November ballot, believes it would make prison terms more just by reforming state guidelines, which are some of the toughest in the nation. One result could mean that hundreds, perhaps thousands of inmates would be sentenced to shorter terms or set free. In Ventura County, it could mean the release of 21 third-strike defendants, Totten said.

“While I consider Steve Cooley as a friend and have great respect for him, I do not agree with him on this issue,” he said. “I think it’s bad public policy.”

Great, release even more criminals early. This is NOT bad public policy – It is UNACCEPTABLE public policy.

The Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, a possible successor to Congressman Elton Gallegly in 2008 also opposes changing the three strikes law.

Critics of the existing law point to cases where defendants were put away for stealing a cookie or pizza. Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, however, said prosecutors and judges have the discretion to consider which crimes they would count as the third strike.

“So much of this has been driven by real quick sound bites of cases that look like an abuse of the system,” Brooks said. “If the public knew everything, they would see that the three strikes law is working. When you look at the kind of violators they are … I think it is frightening. These are some violent offenses of the worst kind. Given the context, you still have a very dangerous person who is still offending.”

And to confuse California voters further there is another measure being circulated for the November ballot.

A competing measure co-written by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Steven Ipsen aims to toughen the existing law in some cases and make it more lenient in others.

Ipsen’s Repeat Criminal Offender/Three Strikes Fair Sentencing Act of 2006 would give life sentences to sex offenders and murderers after two convictions, not three. However, it would allow sentences of 10 years to life and 15 years to life instead of the mandated 25 years to life if the third conviction wasn’t serious.

This spring supporters of each measure will begin collecting the nearly 400,000 signatures they need to put each measure before voters on the November ballot.

So, when you see the signature gatherers asking you to sign the initiative petitions REFUSE to sign then.

Keep the California “three strikes” law!

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