Law Office of Robbi Abrams Cook

There's a new law in California that affects the length of probation. This is great news for many who have had the "sword of Damocles" hanging over their heads after a conviction for way too long. https://robbicooklaw.com//ab-1950-changes-the-length-of-p/

https://www.theguardian.com//california-gang-enhancements-

https://theappeal.org/berkeley-city-council-passes-sweepin/ This legislation is very significant. The headline's description of "sweeping reforms" is right on - see my comments below.

Governor Gavin Newsom will be appointing someone to replace our current Attorney General (Xavier Becerra), who has been nominated by President Biden to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. Becerra had a mixed record as California's Attorney General. He was amazing in dealing with the Trump administration's' myriad attacks on democracy, civil rights and the environment, filing more than 100 lawsuits against the administration. However, his positions on criminal justice issues within California often landed on the side of protecting police departments at the expense of their accountability. The State Attorney General wields much power and has the ability to make significant reforms. Governor Newsom's choice to replace Becerra is a high stakes one.

What Traffic Enforcement Without Police Could Look Like https://theappeal.org/traffic-enforcement-without-police/

What is there to say? Pure cruelty for the sake of cruelty.

Incarcerated people's lives in jeopardy in the "petri dish" environment of jails and prison. Constitutional rights in jeopardy as courts shut down indefinitely.

This is an interesting question. Marijuana smell generally isn't probable cause for a car search anymore in California, but depending on how the Court of Appeals comes down in this case, that could change.

I knew with every ounce of my body, soul and existence, that he was innocent. I put off my retirement two years to see his case through, Ogul said after the verdict was announced. The jury not only could see that, they could feel that.

Alameda County DA Nancy O'Malley has said that she will not agree to this proposition by other prosecutors. She has accepted campaign contributions from police departments her office was investigating for police shootings. Disgraceful.

Great piece by Kyle Barry in "The Appeal" on delaying justice due to the pandemic and the danger it poses.

Incarcerated people's lives in jeopardy in the "petri dish" environment of jails and prison. Constitutional rights in jeopardy as courts shut down indefinitely.

This is an interesting question. Marijuana smell generally isn't probable cause for a car search anymore in California, but depending on how the Court of Appeals comes down in this case, that could change.

Mandatory minimum sentences are generally a terrible idea. As Professor Hipple notes in the article "Mandatory minimums for illegal possession of firearms are generally overbroad and ineffective at reducing violence in large part because they do not address the underlying reason many people carry firearms." The article cites a study of men in Chicago who self-reported carrying a firearm illegally. More than 90 percent of the men said they carried a gun for self-protection or protection of their family. Only 6 percent said they carried a gun to commit a crime. This all rings true with my experience defending young men charged with gun possession crimes.

This is some pretty good bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Dem Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Doug Collins (!) I can't believe it's taken this long for the Federal prison system to recognize the importance of privileged emails. Maybe in twenty years the state prisons will catch up.

This is why it makes a difference to elect a progressive District Attorney!

"I am proud of our democratic institutions; their value was reaffirmed for me because of the process that we went through and the respect we accorded it. I am proud that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. I am proud that we took Roger Stone’s rights seriously and that we treated the government’s assertions skeptically. I am proud of my fellow jurors for respecting each other and for challenging each other until we were all convinced beyond a reasonable doubt"

There are some good ideas in this proposal. Juvenile justice rehabilitation is always a better option for a young person than adult prison.

https://www.nytimes.com///drunk-driving-breathalyzer.html

Another reason to support Chesa Boudin!

So true! https://theappeal.org/drakeo-california-gang-laws-racism/