CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT ALLOWS GOV. BROWN TO CONTINUE WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE BALLOT INITIATIVE
Two weeks ago, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang blocked California Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed ballot initiative to give judges discretion—rather than prosecutors—over whether a child defendant is transferred to adult court, and increase inmates’ access to early release credits. Chang sided with California District Attorney’s Association members, whose lawsuit alleged that amendments to the initiative did not go through the proper legal process. Last week, Brown filed an emergency petition with the California Supreme Court requesting an immediate stay of Judge Chang’s ruling. The next day, the state Supremes put a temporary hold on Chang’s ruling, allowing Brown’s initiative to move forward.
The California Supremes ruled Wednesday that Gov. Brown could continue collecting signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot, while the court considers whether the amendments were improper. The court gave both sides of the lawsuit until the end of March to submit arguments.