News
Senate Bill 260 Becomes Law Giving Hope and a Meaningful Opportunity of Parole for Thousands of Youth Offenders Serving Extreme Sentences
On September 16, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 260 (Hancock), a new law that will give hope and a meaningful opportunity of parole for approximately 5,000 youth offenders serving extreme sentences in state prison in California. The law will permit people whose crimes were committed as minors to appear before the Board of …
Juvenile Defender Listenbee Picked to Lead OJJDP
President Obama has named Robert Listenbee, Jr., Chief of the Juvenile Unit at the Defenders Association of Philadelphia, to become the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This is welcome news to those of us who have had the opportunity to work with Bob over the last few years through the …
SB 9 Is Signed into Law Giving Juveniles Serving Life-Without-Parole Sentences A Second Chance
After a long fought legislative battle, on September 30, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 9 (Yee), which gives some juveniles who received life-without-parole sentences an opportunity for review of their sentences. There are 309 persons serving life-without-parole sentences in California for murders committed when they were younger than 18. SB 9, which goes into …
People v. Caballero – California Supreme Court Holds That De Facto JLWOP Sentence Violates Eighth Amendment!
In People v. Caballero, Case No. S190647, filed August 16, 2012, the California Supreme Court held that a determinate sentence that exceeds the expected lifetime of the juvenile defendant (a total of 110 years to life in this case) violates the Eighth Amendment because it effectively denies a juvenile any opportunity to demonstrate rehabilitation. The …
Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Sentencing Schemes for Juvenile LWOP
In two eagerly awaited opinions, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that juveniles may no longer be subjected to mandatory Life without Parole sentences for crimes committed when they were under 18 years of age. This is the fourth decision inthe past decade recognizing that the particular developmental characteristics of juveniles require a different …
PJDC Submits Testimony To U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Solitary Confinement of Children
PJDC submitted written testimony on June 15, 2012 to the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first-ever Congressional hearing on the use of solitary confinement. PJDC’s statement described the harmful effects of solitary confinement on children.
Click here to read PJDC’s statement.
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PJDC’s Arthur Bowie Wins California Supreme Court Burglary Case
PJDC’s own Arthur Bowie is victorious in Magness v. Super. Court, S194928, in which the California Supreme Court holds that using a remote control to open a garage door does not constitute an entry into the residence for purposes of burglary. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on June 7, 2012:
CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT RULING ON …
Elizabeth Calvin Receives Sister Janet Harris Award
Long Time PJDC Board Member Elizabeth Calvin received the Sister Janet Harris Juvenile Advocacy Award at an April 27, 2012 award ceremony in Los Angeles. This was only the second year for the awards, given by the Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law & Policy in honor of Sister Janet, an indefatigable Nun who …
Registration Now Open For LA County PD Spring Training
The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office will hold its annual Juvenile Delinquency Conference on the Cesar Chavez court holiday of Friday, March 30, 2012, at the Cathedral of our Lady of Los Angeles. …
PJDC Collateral Consequences Handbook Highlighted at CPDA
PJDC Board Members Sue Burrell and Rourke Stacy co-presented a workshop on Collateral Consequences of Sustained Petitions in Juvenile Court at the January 21, 2012 California Public Defenders Association (CPDA) Juvenile Defense Seminar at Monterey, California. …