44 District Attorneys File Lawsuit Challenging California’s Release of 76,000 Prisoners

Spitzer joined 43 elected California district attorneys in a lawsuit filed May 26 in Sacramento Superior Court challenging California’s early release of 76,000 inmates, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s office.

The civil lawsuit seeks to repeal a new rule adopted by the California Department of Corrections that increases Good Time Credits, which would allow nearly 76,000 state prison inmates, including murderers and other violent offenders, to be released early.

The additional credits are the result of a new “emergency” rule that was adopted and made public for the first time at 3 p.m. on April 30, 2021.

With most states across the country already open, Newsom also announced earlier that it would open California on June 15, but the California Department of Corrections insisted on invoking “emergency” circumstances to adopt the rule, saying it was “bypassing the traditional regulatory scheme and the transparent and rigorous public comment period. “

Spitzer said, “As a former chairman of the state Assembly committee that oversees our prisons, I’ve seen this performance (operational agenda) many times before. This is nothing more than an ongoing agenda to close California’s prisons and release dangerous criminals back into our communities.”

As district attorney, Spitzer said his job is to ensure the safety of Orange County. “The public must have the opportunity to question the California Department of Corrections as to why it has decided to send murderers, child molesters and rapists back into our communities more quickly in a manner that constitutes some sort of emergency? It is highly unconscionable to pass these regulations without concern for the victims who suffer from the pain caused by violent criminals, or without concern for public safety.”