Instructions For Sample Letters In Support Of Sb 382 (Page 6 of 7) in pdf

Instructions For Sample Letters In Support Of Sb 382 Page 6

Honorable Jerry Brown

Governor of the State of California

State Capitol

Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Senate Bill 382 (Lara) SUPPORT

Dear Governor Brown:

I support passage of SB 382 because I believe it would be one step toward ending the practice of trying

children and youth as adults.

There is no more serious decision the state makes about a young person than the decision about

whether to send a youth to the adult criminal system. It is a decision that deserves a thorough,

thoughtful process by an unbiased decision-maker.

California is one of just 15 states that allow a prosecutor instead of a judge make the decision about

whether a youth should be removed from the juvenile court and tried as an adult in certain cases. When

prosecutors decide to direct file a case, it is a decision with no external review, oversight, or appeal. And

it is a decision that is made very early in the case, sometimes within hours of arrest. There is no

requirement that prosecutors consider input from experts, analyze the benefits of a youth staying in the

juvenile system, or seek any type of information at all. Unfortunately, as you may know, most of the

cases of youth in the adult system were sent there at the discretion of the prosecutor, and not after

careful consideration in a courtroom by an unbiased decision-maker. Although SB 382 would not change

that practice, it would give tools to judges so that when a court is making the decision, a better decision

can be made.

It is critical that judges have the most relevant information and full picture of an individual before they

make the critical decision about a young person’s life.

I respectfully urge you to sign SB 382 into law. Thank you.

Very truly yours,

_________________________________

Printed name

_________________________________

Address

_________________________________

City

State

Zip

_________________________________

Email and/or phone

Instructions For Sample Letters In Support Of Sb 382 Page 6