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Government,
Criminal

Nov. 5, 2024

Prop 36: Two steps forward? More like ten steps back

Special interests, including major retailers and the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, are pushing Proposition 36 by promoting a fear-based vision of public safety, wrongly attributing issues like retail theft and homelessness to Proposition 47.

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Decades ago, I entered the courtroom and stood next to a young man accused of stealing food and other necessities from his local market, loading them into his car and driving off. After the young man was pulled over and arrested by the police because he fit the description, the San Diego Deputy DA charged him with petty theft with a prior conviction. Despite our confidence that Gabe was innocent, and his prior conviction was minor, we found ourselves nervously awaiting a jury...

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