EDITORIAL: THREE STRIKES:–THE IMPACT AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE…ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Printer-friendly version By the Judicial Reform Commitee, United African-American Ministerial Action Council October 10, 2009 (San Diego)–The much ballyhooed Three Strikes laws have had a negligible impact on states’ imprisoned populations since its enactment, with the notable exceptions of California, Florida, and Georgia.* For most states and the federal government, Three Strikes’ enactment appears to have been "much ado about nothing.” Their 1998 analysis of Three Strikes laws points out why this should come as no surprise — every one of the states that enacted Three Strikes laws already had existing repeat offender laws on the books; for many of those states, the change affected by Three Strikes was marginal. The exceptional impact is in California, the only state in which any felony offense can trigger a Three Strikes sentence. California Department of Corrections data report that nearly two-thirds (65%) of those sentenced under California’s Three Strikes laws are imprisoned for nonviolent offenses. CALIFORNIA IS THE ONLY STATE IN WHICH ANY FELONY OFFENSE CAN TRIGGER A THREE STRIKES SENTENCE. TWO-THIRDS OF CALIFORNIA’S STRIKERS ARE IMPRISONED FOR NONVIOLENT OFFENSES. It would be difficult to overstate how much California has been out of step with the other Three Strikes states on this issue. California, a state with 35 million residents, incarcerated approximately four times as many people under its three strikes law as all of the other states. A POLICY BRIEF BY THE JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE 4 THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT “THE IMPACT OF 3 STRIKE LAWS 10 YEARS AFTER THEIR ENACTMENT” Three Strikes States, combined, even though those states’ combined populations are 112 million. CALIFORNIA “STRIKESOUT” 4 TIMES AS MANY PERSONS AS ALL OTHER 3-STRIKES STATES COMBINED CALIFORNIA 3-Strikes 42,322 Other States 10,624 As a rate per 100,000 residents, California’s Three Strikes rate (119.3) is 18 times as great as the average for the other Three Strikes states (6.7). The 42,322 people incarcerated under California’s Three Strikes law exceed the entire prison population of each of the other Three Strikes states, except Florida and Georgia. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO OVERSTATE HOW OUT OF STEP CALIFORNIA IS WITH OTHER THREE STRIKES STATES. For more information on UAAMAC’s Judicial Reform Town Hall Meeting October 22, 2009 contact: Robert Robinson call (619) 264-1213 * Of the 23 strikes states, data on the number of people incarcerated under Three Strikes were available for 21 of those; 14 states(Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin) each had fewer than 100 people incarcerated under Three Strikes; no state outside California, Florida and Georgia has had more than 400 people imprisoned under Three Strikes. The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
5-CAR CRASH ON I-15 RESULTS IN DEATH OF FALLBROOK WOMAN
Printer-friendly version October 11, 2009 (Escondido) – Sarah Garcia, 22, of Fallbrook died from injuries sustained in an accident yesterday at 4:14 a.m. Garcia was the driver and sole occupant of a sports utility vehicle involved in a multi-vehicle accident on northbound I-15 at the Gopher Canyon exit. She lost control at the edge of a hillside and plunged into a canyon, where CHP and emergency personnel located the vehicle and confirmed death at the scene, according to the San Diego County Coroner’s office. Southbound Highway 15 was closed temporarily following the collision. Printer-friendly version
POLICE CHASE ENDS IN CRASH, DEATH OF SAILOR FROM LA MESA
Printer-friendly version October 11, 2009 (La Mesa) – La Mesa resident Herb Anthony McClenningham, 20, died after losing control of his vehicle during a police chase. McClenningham, an active duty member of the U.S. Navy, was driving erratically eastbound on El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego on October 9th. San Diego Police officers attempted to pull him over and he fled. McClenningham lost control of the vehicle, struck a pole and overturned the vehicle, which landed in an intersection, according to the San Diego County Cororner’s report. Medics were summoned and initiated CPR but were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. Printer-friendly version
LA MESA WOMAN CRUSHED BY BUS ON HIGHWAY 94
Printer-friendly version October 11, 2009 (Dulzura) – La Mesa resident Debra Louise Allen, 42, died yesterday morning after being run over by a bus that struck the motorcycle on which she was a passenger. The accident occurred on eastbound 94 east of Tecate Road in Dulzura at 10 a.m. on October 10th. According to the San Diego County Coroner’s office, Allen was a passenger on a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle which tried to pass the bus on a steep, windy grade. Allen was run over and crushed by the bus; the male driver and his motorcycle were pushed to the side of the road. California Highway Patrol and Border Patrol agents responded to a 911 call and confirmed Allen’s death at the scene. Allen resided with her mother in La Mesa. Printer-friendly version
HOUSE PASSES FILNER’S BILL TO SECURE TIMELY FUNDING FOR VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE
Printer-friendly version 2ND BILL TO BUILD MORE V.A. CLINICS ALSO APPROVED October 11, 2009 (Washington D.C.)– On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to H.R. 1016, a bill to secure timely funding for veterans’ health care delivered through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). “Today, the House of Representatives took action to respond to years of chronic underfunding of VA medical care,” said Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and author of the bill. “Over the last 23 years, 20 VA budgets have been passed late – and our veterans pay the price with fewer doctors, longer waiting times, and more restricted access for the 6 million veterans using VA health care." He added, "Again this year, the VA is forced to rely on funding from a continuing resolution, even though the House acted in a timely fashion and passed the FY 2010 VA spending bill in July. Members of the Committee have worked closely with veteran service organizations to pass this landmark bill and guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care.” The bill provides Congress greater ability to develop appropriation bills to provide sufficient funding to meet the anticipated demands for VA health care services in future years, by allowing funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical accounts one year in advance. H.R. 1016 would authorize Congress to approve Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year. An advance appropriation would provide VA with up to one year in which to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions. Unlike proposals to convert VA health care to a mandatory funding program, an advance appropriation does not create PAYGO concerns since VA health care funding would remain discretionary. Congress employs a PAYGO rule which demands that new proposals must either be budget neutral or offset with savings derived from existing funds. Additionally, VA will be required to detail estimates in the budget documents it submits annually to Congress. Each July, the VA will be required to report to Congress if it has the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year in order for Congress to address any funding imbalances. This will help to safeguard against the VA facing budget shortfalls such as it faced just a few years ago. Reform of the method in which the VA health care system is funded continues to be a top legislative priority for many veteran service organizations. In a letter sent by eleven veteran service organizations to Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, a vote for H.R. 1016 “will be among the most important for veterans and their families that the Committee will take this year.” Representatives of these groups offered testimony in support of advance appropriations at a recent Committee hearing which focused on funding the VA of the future. (Testimony available here: HVAC Hearing Information) The House also approved an amendment to H.R. 1016. The version of this legislation represents a compromise agreement between the House and the Senate. The bill in its current form must be approved by the Senate before being sent to the President for passage into law. All five San Diego Congressional members voted in favor of the measure. The House also passed S. 1717, a bill to authorize 15 major medical facility leases for the VA fiscal year 2010 budget. VA operates the largest direct health care delivery system in America and this bill provides VA the ability to move forward without delay on the execution of important facility leases. In support of S. 1717, Congressman Filner said, “Veterans who have been anticipating new clinics opening up in their communities will not be disappointed. S. 1717 will allow VA to provide timely access to high quality health care to veterans.” Printer-friendly version
MILITARY TO BE HONORED WITH GOLF, DINNER & PRIZES AT OCT. 16 EVENT SPONSORED BY RANCHO SAN DIEGO-JAMUL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Printer-friendly version Public invited to participate – or sponsor a military member or veteran October 11, 2009 (Rancho San Diego) – “It’s in the Hole” golf tournament tees off this Friday at the newly-renovates Lakes course at Cottonwood Golf Club in Rancho San Diego. “We expect a perfect autumn day, “ said chamber president Valerie Harrison, who seeks additional sponsors to honor military heroes and enable more to participate, including wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. “It is heartwarming to see the players really kick-back and just enjoy a fun day,” she added. Lunch will be provided by The Press Box Lounge and Sports Bar. The event also includes a dinner reception catered by Outback Steakhouse of El Cajon. Guests can also enjoy contests, dancing after dinner to the music of D.J. Eric Lund, special speakers, raffle drawings for prizes, and a silent auction. Competitors will receive goodie bags, a Mulligan bag, and vie for prizes in a putting contest, longest drive, poker game, On the Green Game Par 3, Guess the distance Par 4/5, and others. Prizes include a Las Vegas vacation, golf gear, polo shirts, and much more. “Not only is this a great way to honor our military, it is also National Boss Day, too,” Harrison noted, “a perfect gift for that special boss.” Cost is $125. Discounts for Chamber members. To register, sign up at www.rsdjchamber.org. For more details, view the flyer. Printer-friendly version
TOWN HALL MEETING ON 3 STRIKES LAW OCT. 22
Printer-friendly version On Thursday, October 22, the Judicial Reform Committee of the United African-American Ministerial Action Council (UAAMAC) will host a town hall meeting on Califiornia’s three strikes law to encourage a change in sentencing practices. Panelists will include Karen Bass, Speaker of the Assembly, Assembly member Lori Saldana (D-San Diego), Bishop George D. McKinney, Frank Courser and Sue Reams, Families to Amend California Three Strikes. "In these trying economic times. it is imperative that we examine these laws,” UAAMAC’s press release states. California’s Three Strikes Law is the toughest law in the nation; California incarcerates four times more inmates as all other three strikes states combined. Supporters of the laws note that a small percentage of offenders are responsible for the majority of crimes. But a growing number of people now argue that California’s law has gone too far, locking up not only violent repeat criminals, but also imposing life sentences on people guilty of nonviolent offenses such as shoplifting. According to UAAMAC, over 40,000 inmates in California (one fourth of the total prison population) are now serving double time or life sentences. Those include 690 serving life for drug possession, 351 for shoplifting and 181 for receiving stolen property. Until this law passed, no person in the history of the United States had ever been sentenced to life for shoplifting, UAAMAC reports. Reforming sentencing laws could also save taxpayers money in an era when California is suffering massive budget shortfalls and a federal judge has ordered the state to release some prisoners due to overcrowding in state prisons. “Nearly 25 percent of the inmate population is incarcerated under the three strike law-which requires individuals to serve longer terms,” the UAAMAC release notes. “We estimate the cost to the State of the increase in sentence length for these inmates will total $19.2 billion over the duration of their sentences.” The event will be held at St. Stephens Cathedral, 5825 Imperial Ave., San Diego at 6 p.m. on October 22. Printer-friendly version
GAME OF THE WEEK: EAGLES RECOVER FROM SLOW START, ROUT SPARTANS 38-13
Printer-friendly versionby Christopher Mohr October 2, 2009 (El Cajon)– After twenty minutes of game time had elapsed, it seemed that Friday night’s game between Granite Hills and Central High would be closely contested, with a final score in the 20s. Fortunately for the Granite Hills Eagles, that trend did not continue. After a slow start by both teams, Granite Hills took control of the momentum and the game to cruise to a 38-13 win over visiting Central High’s Spartans of El Centro. Both teams played a scoreless first quarter, and were able to move the ball on some plays, but not consistently enough to be a scoring threat. Granite Hills’ first scoring opportunity was not what they hoped for. Instead of a touchdown for the Eagles, the drive resulted in a touchback and the ball going to the Spartans when Brandon Andrews intercepted a pass from Cory Lockman in the end zone. "We came off a bye week and I think just needed a little warmup time," Lockman said about the slow start, referring to the fact that the Eagles’ last previous game was two weeks ago on September 18 against El Cajon Valley. The Spartans responded by covering 80 yards in 10 plays, scoring first on a one-yard touchdown run by Cody Johnson. Johnson’s ball carrying and a 39 yard pass play from J.T. Adams to Sam Castro highlighted the scoring drive and Central led 7-0 in the second quarter. Good teams answer the call when challenged, and after the Spartans took the lead, the Eagles stormed back with a drive of their own. Frantz Laroque scored on a 34 yard run to tie the game at seven. Fifty-four of the 69 yards on this scoring drive came from Laroque running the ball. On the following possession for Central, it seemed initially like the game could turn into a see-saw battle. Johnson continued his early success running the ball with a 20-yard run, giving the Spartans great field position on their own 40-yard line. On the next play, however, Johnson was stuffed for no gain, and two incomplete passes later, the Spartans were forced to punt. From that point on, the Eagles would never turn back. They took a 14-7 lead on a six-yard touchdown pass from Lockman to Jonathan Valencia. After the interception, Lockman seemed to find his groove, completing three passes on this drive. The Eagles’ defense seemed to find a groove of their own. They sacked Adams on one play and again forced the Spartans to punt, but even that did not go well for Central. An errant snap on the punt play to Andrews (also a punter) sailed over his head. He chased down the loose ball and fell on it at his own 21-yard line, giving the Eagles excellent field position. Long snapping on punts proved to be challenging for Central throughout the game. With only 32 seconds left before halftime, the Eagles were unable to get another touchdown, settling instead for a 20 yard field goal by Tyler Strickland and a 17-7 lead at the break. So far, Granite Hills had scored 17 unanswered points, and they would add to that total in the second half. Bad luck continued for the Spartans on their opening drive in the second half. J.T. Adams was sacked by Alex Beepath, losing the ball on the hard hit. Joe Cardona picked up the loose ball and just missed running it back for a touchdown, returning it instead to the two-yard line. "I just saw one of my teammates come in and get a sack, picked the ball, ran as hard as I could, came up a little short," Cardona said about the play. He was blitzing on the play and left unblocked. On the next play, Lockman punched it in from two yards out to extend the Eagles’ lead to 24-7. Football trivia enthusiasts will be hard pressed to find a shorter drive at any level of football than this one: one play, two yards and one second of elapsed game time. Central’s ball-handling problems continued on their next possession when Zach Guizar fumbled and the Eagles recovered on their own 33-yard line. It ended what had been a promising drive for the Spartans up to that point that covered 35 yards in the previous four plays. Laroque scored later on an 18-yard run to make the score 31-7, Eagles. "In the beginning it was kinda weird, it was like they knew what we were doing, coming hard down on the outside, so what we did was hit them with the play action, and then our O-line executed on their blocks and I just found my way," said Laroque about the running game opening up later in the game for the Eagles. He added another touchdown run to extend the Eagles’ lead to 38-7. Although the game had long been decided, Central had an impressive 12-play drive that ended on a two-yard touchdown run by Johnson to close out the scoring at 38-13. The win improved Granite Hills’ record to 3-1. They will visit West Hills (2-3) next week. Central dropped to 3-2 with the loss and will face Imperial (1-4) at home. Christopher Mohr is a freelance writer in the San Diego area and is a huge Chargers, Padres and Detroit Red Wings fan. Scoring Summary ___________________________________________ Central (El Centro) 0 7 0 6 -13 Granite Hills 0 17 14 7 -38 ___________________________________________ First Quarter No scoring Second Quarter C – Johnson 1 run (Bustos kick) GH – Laroque 34 run (Strickland kick) GH – Valencia 17 pass from Lockman (Strickland kick) GH – FG Strickland 20 Third Quarter GH – Lockman 2 run (Strickland kick) GH – Laroque 18 run (Strickland kick) Fourth Quarter GH – Laroque 37 run (Strickland kick) C – Johnson 1 run (kick failed) Other East County scores (East County teams in caps) VALHALLA 47, WEST HILLS 7 EL CAPITAN 27, MONTE VISTA 13 MT. MIGUEL 49, GROSSMONT 20 STEELE