Former SF Supervisor Explain The Impacts of Reforming Prop 47 | Matt Gonzalez

"To make a theft a felony, keep in mind that felony cases are now going to be in a courtroom alongside homicides, rape cases, aggravated assaults, armed robberies, and you're going to have a petty theft with a prior—where nobody served any substantial misdemeanor jail time—competing for a courtroom and resources. This distracts prosecutors from serious cases, who now have to litigate these other cases," says Matt Gonzalez, Chief Attorney at the Public Defender’s Office in San Francisco.

Siyamak sits down with Matt Gonzalez, who will discuss Prop 47’s impact on crime and why reforming the proposition is not the solution.

"I received a couple of emails, and they were just thank-you messages saying, 'Hey, I got my life together. I really appreciate what you did. You fought for me. You kept me from getting these felonies.' You know, they turned their lives around, and when I was dealing with them, they were just strung-out heroin addicts. So the question is: Do we want to make a decision that satisfies public safety concerns but increases the likelihood that these accused people have a chance moving forward to turn their lives around?" says Gonzalez.

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0:00 Intro
2:06 Why it feels like crime is on the rise
12:05 Maximizing the punishments for petty theft
14:37 Prosecuting misdemeanors
17:07 Multiple arrests with no consequences
20:07 Impact of Prop 47 on drug-related crimes
24:46 Rehab options for addicts besides prison
27:56 Lacking enforcement of the law
31:22 Enforcement and accountability
37:32 Transparency in the criminal justice system
39:29 Address root causes & provide opportunities
42:46 Compassionate approach to criminal justice
*Views expressed in this video/article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.
#sanfrancisco #prop47 #prop36 #publicdefender #retailtheft #californianews #californiainsider #california
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