Sen. Susan Rubio describes herself as an advocate for crime victims. The Democrat representing West Covina claims this title in her official biography and when introducing legislation that impacts victims.
Yet her legislation, Senate Bill 672, will unnecessarily cause immense trauma to thousands of violent crime victims all over the state.
Rubio's idea is that people who committed a crime when they were 25 or younger, who have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and who have served 25 years of their term, should actually get the possibility of parole.
The possibility of parole could potentially be granted to an individual 25 years after the full legal process is completed to convict that person. In the meantime, witnesses, prosecutors, judges and communities have all moved on. But many of the victims of these crimes will not have moved on -- they often live with the pain of a crime every day.
In her fact sheet for the bill, Rubio claims victims will not lose their rights. But that is silly: A victim who had closure upon sentencing will now have to relive their nightmare because they will be asked to attend a hearing about the potential release of a felon who changed their lives forever.
In an interview with ABC10, Lauren Pettigrew, whose brother was murdered in 2007, called the bill "offensive." The three individuals who killed Pettigrew's brother, David, were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
"It's rewriting history," Pettigrew told ABC10. "(We) were told decades ago that these people would never get out of jail."
What message does this bill send to prosecutors? Local district attorneys won't have an incentive to make deals -- such as giving individuals life without the possibility of parole to avoid the death penalty -- any longer if this bill passes and, 25 years later, a criminal who should remain in jail is instead given the opportunity to leave.
Instead, more district attorneys will seek the death penalty -- hugely increasing trial and appeal costs.
According to Rubio's SB 672 frequently asked questions page, "the prefrontal cortex -- the area responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and judgment - -- is not fully developed until around age 25. This impacts a young adult's ability to assess risk, plan long-term and regulate behavior."
This argument is misguided and should not provide a convenient excuse for violent behavior. We allow people under the age of 26 to vote, serve in the legislature, the military and on juries. They can and should be held responsible for their actions at this age too.
In authoring this bill, Rubio is ripping open old wounds of victims all over the state. SB 672 is a horrible piece of legislation that no sincere victim advocate would ever support.