California law treats some violent crimes as nonviolent, letting offenders off the hook | Columns


I’m doing something here that I’ve never done before while writing more than 10,000 columns about California politics: give over some space to a fellow pundit.

Emily Hoeven, a former CalMatters staffer who now opines for the San Francisco Chronicle, has written frequently about misguided California legislators who refuse to classify domestic violence and other horrendous crimes as violent.


This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmw@6G6?’D >@DE C646?E >:DD:G6 A@:?ED @FE E92E 2 7@C>6C A@=:46>2? H9@ 2==6865=J @A6?65 7:C6 😕 2? ~C2?86 r@F?EJ 32C =2DE H66<[ <:==:?8 E9C66 A6@A=6 2?5 H@F?5:?8 D:I @E96CD[ H2D 2AA2C6?E=J E2C86E:?8 9:D 6DEC2?865 H:76]k^Am

kAm“p=E9@F89 56E2:=D 2C6 DE:== 6>6C8:?8[ E96 9@CC:7:4 :?4:56?E 2AA62CD E@ 36 E96 =2E6DE E@ F?56CD4@C6 E96 F?56?:23=6 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 2?5 >2DD D9@@E:?8D[” D96 HC@E6] “#6D62C49 92D 7@F?5 E92E 😕 >@C6 E92? egT @7 &]$] >2DD D9@@E:?8D 7C@> a_`c E9C@F89 a_`h[ E96 D9@@E6C 6:E96C 925 2 9:DE@CJ @7 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 @C <:==65 2E =62DE @?6 A2CE?6C @C 72>:=J >6>36C]k^Am

kAm“%96 8F?>2? H9@ <:==65 “ 2?5 :?;FC65 ?:?6 😕 2 y2?F2CJ >2DD D9@@E:?8 2E 2 |@?E6C6J !2C< W{@D p?86=6D r@F?EJX 52?46 92== >2J 92G6 366? 9F?E:?8 9:D 6I\H:76[” w@6G6? 4@?E:?F65] “{2DE J62C[ 2 >2? D9@E 2?5 <:==65 9:D E9C66 52F89E6CD 2?5 E96:C 25F=E 492A6C@?6 2E 2 DFA6CG:D65 72>:=J G:D:E 2E 2 $24C2>6?E@ 49FC49] p?5 E96 E9C66 >6? 492C865 H:E9 >FC56C 😕 $24C2>6?E@’D 5625=:6DE D9@@E:?8 =2DE J62C[ H9:49 =67E D:I 5625 2?5 `a :?;FC65[ 2== 925 9:DE@C:6D @7 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46]k^Am

kAm“p?5 E92E >62?D =2H>2<6CD D9@F=5 E2<6 E96 =@?8\@G6C5F6 DE6A @7 492?8:?8 r2=:7@C?:2’D A6?2= 4@56 E@ 4=2DD:7J 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 2D 2 ‘G:@=6?E’ 4C:>6]k^Am

kAm“s6DA:E6 :ED ?2>6[ r2=:7@C?:2 4@?D:56CD 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 E@ 36 2 ‘?@?G:@=6?E’ @776?D6] %9:D >62?D 4@?G:4E65 23FD6CD 42? >@C6 BF:4<=J D92G6 E:>6 @77 E96:C D6?E6?46D 2?5 D66< 6IA65:E65 C6=62D6 7C@> AC:D@?] xE 2=D@ =:>:ED AC@D64FE@CD’ 23:=:EJ E@ AFCDF6 DE66A6C D6?E6?46D 7@C C6A62E @776?56CD]k^Am

kAm“%9:D ?665D E@ 492?86]”k^Am

kAmw@6G6? ?@E65 E92E 62C=:6C E9:D J62C[ E96 pDD6>3=J’D WA6C92AD >:D?2>65X !F3=:4 $276EJ r@>>:EE66 C6;64E65 2 #6AF3=:42? 3:== E@ 4=2DD:7J 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 2D 2 G:@=6?E 4C:>6[ E96C63J >2<:?8 :E 62D:6C E@ <66A @776?56CD 369:?5 32CD]k^Am

kAm%9:D @FEC286@FD D:EF2E:@? C6DF=ED 7C@> 2 a_`e 32==@E >62DFC6[ DA@?D@C65 AC:?4:A2==J 3J E96?\v@G] y6CCJ qC@H? 2?5 A2DD65 3J G@E6CD[ E92E AFCA@CE65 E@ 8:G6 E9@D6 H9@ 4@>>:E ?@?G:@=6?E 4C:>6D 492?46D E@ 62C? E96:C H2J @FE @7 AC:D@?]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ :E H2D 5646AE:G6] !C@A@D:E:@? df’D :?5:C64E 567:?:E:@? @7 2 ?@?G:@=6?E 4C:>6 H2D E92E :E 5:5 ?@E 2AA62C @? 2 DA64:7:4 !6?2= r@56 =:DE @7 ab G:@=6?E 4C:>6D]k^Am

kAm%92E =:DE @?=J C676CC65 E@ A2CE:4F=2C=J 96:?@FD 4C:>6D 2?5 @>:EE65 >2?J @776?D6D E92E @C5:?2CJ 7@=<D H@F=5 4@?D:56C G:@=6?E[ :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 7@C>D @7 C2A6 2?5 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46] %96 C6DF=E 😀 E92E E9@D6 H9@ 4@>>:E D@>6 F?DA62<23=6 4C:>6D[ :?4=F5:?8 32EE6C:?8 @?6’D DA@FD6[ 2C6 8:G6? <:5 8=@G6D EC62E>6?E 😕 E96 A6?2= DJDE6>]k^Am

kAmqC@H? :?D:DE65 E92E DE2E6 AC:D@? @77:4:2=D H@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ <66A D6I @776?56CD 369:?5 32CD[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96:C 4C:>6D H6C6 @77:4:2==J 566>65 ?@?G:@=6?E] w@H6G6C[ E96 DE2E6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE =2E6C 564=2C65 E92E D6I @776?56CD H6C6 =682==J 6?E:E=65 E@ 62C=J C6=62D6D 3642FD6 E96:C 4C:>6D H6C6?’E @? E96 G:@=6?E 4C:>6 =:DE]k^Am

kAmt77@CED 😕 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 2?5 😕 32==@E >62DFC6D E@ 6IA2?5 r2=:7@C?:2’D =:DE @7 G:@=6?E 4C:>6D 92G6 72:=65] %96 {68:D=2EFC6’D 5@>:?2?E s6>@4C2ED 2C6 D@ 4@>>:EE65 E@ H92E E96J 42== “4C:>:?2= ;FDE:46 C67@C>” E92E E96J H:== ?@E 6?E6CE2:? 6IA2?D:@?]k^Am

kAm%96J 6G6? <:==65 2 3:== 4=2DD:7J:?8 49:=5 EC277:4<:?8 2D 2 D6C:@FD 76=@?J F?E:= 36:?8 7@C465 3J 2 AF3=:4 @FE4CJ E@ <66A E96 >62DFC6 2=:G6]k^Am

kAm{2DE J62C[ 7@C H9:=6 CF??:?8 7@C 2 7F== E6C> 2D 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ #@3 q@?E2 564=2C65 E92E E96 DE2E6’D =:DE @7 G:@=6?E 4C:>6D D9@F=5 36 6IA2?565] w2G:?8 366? D276=J 6=64E65[ 9@H6G6C[ 96 92D ?@E =:7E65 2 7:?86C E@ >2<6 :E 92AA6?]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8ms2? (2=E6CD 92D 366? 2 ;@FC?2=:DE 7@C ?62C=J e_ J62CD[ DA6?5:?8 2== 3FE 2 76H @7 E9@D6 J62CD H@C<:?8 7@C r2=:7@C?:2 ?6HDA2A6CD] w6 92D HC:EE6? >@C6 E92? h[___ 4@=F>?D 23@FE r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 :ED A@=:E:4D 2?5 9:D 4@=F>? 92D 2AA62C65 😕 >2?J @E96C r2=:7@C?:2 ?6HDA2A6CD] w6 HC:E6D 7@C k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^r2=|2EE6CD]@C8Qmr2=|2EE6CD]@C8k^2m 2 ?@?AC@7:E[ ?@?\A2CE:D2? >65:2 G6?EFC6 6IA=2:?:?8 r2=:7@C?:2 A@=:4:6D 2?5 A@=:E:4D]k^DEC@?8mk^Am



Source link