Law Enforcement

New criminal justice reform focus: Harsh bail laws

The same coalition of Democratic lawmakers and interest groups that worked with Gov. Jerry Brown on Propositions 47 and 57 — which lessen the amount of time convicts must spend behind bars for relatively minor crimes and make it easier

California bill would ban driving while high

James Poulos January 16, 2017

Amid a patchwork landscape of laws and enforcement, California legislators eyed a new bill that would ban getting high behind the wheel. Joined by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, introduced Senate Bill 65 to address an

Assemblyman’s column on new child-prostitution law faces bipartisan backlash

Matt Fleming January 4, 2017

An Orange County assemblyman is under fire from his right, center and left over a column published last week titled: “California Democrats legalize child prostitution.” The column set off a war of words over the difference between legalization and decriminalization, with

Lawmakers look to make marijuana use while driving illegal

Matt Fleming December 30, 2016

When voters decriminalized recreational marijuana use Nov. 8, they also made it illegal to have an open container of pot in a vehicle. But ambiguity in the law may still allow for people to light up while driving, and two

New California in-car cellphone crackdown begins

James Poulos December 29, 2016

Amid lingering criticism and doubts about the feasibility of enforcement, Californians braced for new legislation taking effect in January that will ban almost all handling of cellphones behind the wheel. Beginning Sunday, law enforcement will be authorized to punish drivers using the

New legislative session puts bail-bonds industry under microscope

Steven Greenhut December 6, 2016

SACRAMENTO – At a press conference in the Capitol on Monday morning, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom explained that although he has long championed various reforms to the state’s criminal-justice system, he had in the past rarely even thought about

Voters narrowly approve measure to expedite death penalty executions

Matt Fleming November 23, 2016

A measure to speed up executions in California was projected to pass Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press. Proposition 66, which aims to cap death-sentence appeals at five years, stands at 51.1 percent of the vote. While such a slim

Bail reform tops criminal-justice efforts in next legislative session

Steven Greenhut November 15, 2016

California has long been known as a law-and-order state, particularly following the crime spikes of the 1980s. The state passed the toughest “three strikes” law in the nation and state officials from both parties often have argued over who would

New era of marijuana dawns in California, nationwide

James Poulos November 12, 2016

Californians have gone down in history as leading a nationwide charge to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. “Voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 64, making California the most populous state in the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana,”

Attorney General Harris conducting investigation of Wells Fargo

James Poulos October 31, 2016

Attorney General Kamala Harris has joined the growing pile-on against Wells Fargo’s improper business dealings. “California’s attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation into whether employees at San Francisco-based Wells Fargo bank stole customers’ identities in the sales practices