Chico Times

SACRAMENTO – Victim advocates and law enforcement joined California Senate and Assembly Republicans today to rally against Senate Bill 94 (D-Cortese) during a press conference at the State Capitol. The proposal, revived by legislative Democrats, would make some of the state’s worst murderers eligible for release. Videos of the press conference and high-resolution photos are available.

SB 94 proposes that violent murderers sentenced to life in prison without parole could petition the court for a new sentence with parole if they have served at least 25 years and their offense occurred before June 5, 1990.

“When violent murderers brutally take a life, they lose their right to freedom. Their punishment is in the name—life without parole,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). “Now, radical Democrat politicians want to bring these violent offenders back into our communities. Releasing heinous murderers after promising justice to the victims’ families is not just disrespectful, it’s dangerous.”

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) expressed similar sentiments: “The fact that Democrats are debating whether or not to keep violent murderers behind bars shows how out-of-touch they really are. SB 94 is an insult to the victims of these killers, their families and the millions of Californians who are sick of criminals running rampant on our streets.”

Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta), vice chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, added: “The supermajority’s efforts to empty California’s prisons have become entirely too focused on the criminals and forget to consider the victims and their families. It is unacceptable for legislators to show this complete disregard for those who have suffered by re-litigating crimes that have already received a fair trial. This bill sends a terrible message and retraumatizes families of victims who were reassured that the criminals who have done unspeakable things to their loved ones would never be released.”

Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Corona) criticized SB 94 as well: “I am disgusted by the actions of radical Democrats in our state legislature who have chosen to resurrect one of last year’s most egregious ‘public safety’ bills, SB 94. This disastrous proposal would allow the most vicious murderers to be released from prison. SB 94 would break the promise made to victims that society would never see these criminals on our streets again. Under this proposal criminals like Scott Peterson who viciously murdered his wife and unborn child would be eligible for early release. Californians are sick of Democrats’ soft-on-crime agenda in Sacramento and we must reject SB 94.”

Leader Jones and Senator Seyarto recently released an analysis detailing what they view as dangerous aspects of this policy.

Lauren Pettigrew from Crime Victims United shared her personal concerns: “To hear that Sen. Cortese has revived this horrible bill is a total slap in the face to the victims who were promised by a judge that their killers would never get released,” said Pettigrew, whose brother was killed in 2007 by three people sentenced to life without parole. “Senate Bill 94 is opening up the nightmare and anxiety of having to go back to court and face monsters, followed by possibly facing lifetime parole hearings. I am disillusioned and in anguish wondering when victims’ families can mourn quietly for their loved ones without worrying about legislation that will reopen wounds from their past.”

Below are examples of heinous murderers that would be eligible for early release under SB 94: