Court Will Hear Arguments Over Brown’s Ballot Measure

Sacramento, CA — The California Supreme Court will hear arguments today regarding a lawsuit aimed at a ballot measure being pushed by Governor Jerry Brown.

The Governor’s initiative would allow for the early release of some state prisoners that were convicted for non-violent crimes. It would also require a judge, and not a prosecutor, to determine if a juvenile should be tried for a crime as an adult in certain situations. Brown’s initiative was merged with a related ballot measure, focused soley on juvenile crimes, that was already going through the review process. It was a way to speed things up and ensure that it appears on the November ballot. However, a lawsuit filed by the California District Attorneys Association argues that the measure needs to go through the full review, and should go back to start line. Oral arguments begin this morning and a ruling is expected in the weeks ahead.