Vote no on Proposition 20 to preserve criminal justice reforms.
Over the past several years, California lawmakers have worked to undo some of the state’s incredibly harsh criminal justice laws. For decades, California was known as a “tough on crime” state. These severe laws led to a spike in arrests and overcrowding in California’s state prisons and county jails. Recognizing that many of these laws caused more harm than good, the Legislature, Governor Brown and now Governor Newsom have advocated for change.
As we vote in the November 2020 election, Californians have a choice about keeping these measures in place. In particular, Proposition 20 would rollback many of the criminal justice reforms, returning California to an incredibly inhumane criminal justice system. As a criminal lawyer in Orange County, CA can explain, voting NO on Prop 20 is the right choice for California.
What would Prop 20 do?
- Allow prosecutors to charge some property crimes as felonies rather than misdemeanors, specifically those that involve items stolen with a value of $250 or more;
- Increase penalties for former inmates who violate the terms of their supervised release three times;
- Require law enforcement officials to collect DNA samples from people convicted of certain misdemeanors, including drug possession, shoplifting, and forgery.
- This DNA would be stored in a state database; and
- Double the number of felonies that prevent people in prison from being able to apply for early parole.
This proposition seeks to undo the reforms enacted by previous propositions, including Prop 47, which reduced many felonies to misdemeanors and gave inmates in state prison more opportunities to qualify for early release.
Importantly, the criminal justice reforms that have been enacted over the past 5 to 10 years have not led to an increase in crime in California. In many areas, crime has actually decreased. In addition, these reforms have reduced the number of people in prison and jail and cut costs for jails and prisons. The reforms also seek to undo much of the harm caused by racially discriminatory policing practices.
One of the primary backers of Prop 20 are retailers, who are pushing to have shoplifting and related offenses changed to felonies rather than misdemeanors. While this many benefit their bottom line, it overlooks the harm caused by charging individuals with felony offenses for nonviolent offenses. Other proponents of Prop 20 include some law enforcement associations and conservative prosecutors. Opponents of Prop 20 include Governor Newsom, the California Teachers Association, and the Chief Probation Officers of California.
A “yes” vote on Prop 20 would be incredibly damaging to all Californians, particularly those who have committed a relatively minor crime and who are trying to get their lives back on track. For this reason, we urge you to vote NO on Prop 20.
At the Chambers Law Firm, we advocate for individuals who have been charged with all types of California crimes, from misdemeanors to capital offenses. We use our skill and experience to achieve the best possible results for our clients. To learn more or to schedule a consultation with a criminal lawyer in Orange County, CA, contact us today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com.
