Just over the transom is a press release from the Calfiornia Republican Lawyers Association, an organization that is representing the Calfdiornia State Assembly GOP Caucus in preventing the federal judiciary from imposing a cap on the total number of inmates in California prisons.

The CRLA filed a motion on behalf of 31 Republican lawmakers seeking more time to solve the state prison crowding problem.

Here is the text of the CRLA release:

Yesterday, attorneys from the California Republican Lawyers Association, on behalf of the Republican Assembly Caucus, filed a motion in Federal Court seeking to intervene before the 3 judge panel considering setting a cap on the total number of inmates in California prisons.

“As a former Gang Prosecutor, I am gravely concerned by the fact that this panel of non-elected judges seems committed to imposing a cap on California’s prison population.  This cap will release thousands of dangerous criminals back onto our streets.”  stated CRLA President Steve Baric.  “We believe that the early release of dangerous criminals sets a bad precedent and makes a mockery of our public safety laws.  Stories of early released prisoners committing new crimes are too numerous to list.  This cap would put the safety of all Californians at risk.” 

On July 23, U.S. District Court Judges Lawrence Karlton and Thelton Henderson ordered a three-judge panel be convened to consider setting a prison population cap in California. CRLA Bay Area Chairman Steven Kaufhold representing the Republican caucus filed the motion with the federal courts in San Francisco and Sacramento.  He argued that under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, which sets the process for federal courts to convene three-judge panels, “any state or local official, including a legislator . . . shall have the right to intervene.”

Federal law requires that the state have time to remedy any deficiencies the Federal Court may find in California’s prison system and any solutions imposed by the courts must not jeopardize public safety.  If the court grants the motion by Assembly Republicans to become active participant in the case, they will be able to file briefs with the court and provide oral arguments defending efforts by the legislature to remedy any deficiencies in the prison system and California’s tough-on-crime public safety laws. 

 

Thirty-one Assembly Republicans signed onto the lawsuit.

“The Republicans are showing great leadership by seeking to intervene in this litigation.” stated Baric. “Imagine 50,000 dangerous criminals flooding back into our communities.  This is a very real possibility.  We at the California Republican Lawyers Association are committed to preventing this from happening.”

A RELATED NOTE:

In a curiously strange lead commentary on ultra-left-wing political website Calitics.com, that site's publisher Brian Leubitz mocks GOP attempts to ensure the safety of Californians by openly criticizing the efforts of Republican legislators in preventing the early release of convicted felons.

Leubitz seemingly takes the political side of convicted felons by writing "He (Republican lawmaker and former prosecutor Todd Spitzer of Orange County, who is leading the effort to prevent early felon release) can't fathom the possibility that just locking more and more people up can't be a good thing. That's being ToughOnCrime^TM! That must be good!Sentences must be served! We made irrational sentences for these people and they must serve them! Must! I am Tough!"

It remains unanswered, however, if Democratic candidates standing for public office in 2008 will adopt Brian Leubitz's stance on early release of dangerous felons.