April 20th: Suit filed Against Proposition 21:
On Thursday, April 20th, the League of Women Voters, Children's
Advocacy Institute, Coleman Advocates for Youth, and Peter Bull, taxpayer and
private citizen, filed a lawsuit in the California Supreme Court stating that
Proposition 21 —the so called Juvenile Justice Initiative— violates
the single-subject rule of the California Constitution. The petitioners are
asking the Court to issue an immediate stay to prevent Proposition 21 from
being implemented. The Juvenile Crime Initiative was passed by voters on March
7, 2000 and also expanded the Three Strikes law by expanding what can count as
"violent" and "serious" felonies.
Proposition 21 was so broad in the
changes it was making, many voters had no idea they were also expanding the
already draconian Three Strikes law to include gang-related felonies and
conspiracy to the list of "serious" felonies.
Please send questions or comments to factsla@sbcglobal.net.
Everything on this web site can be distributed to the general public,
reprinted, or reposted without permission of Families to Amend California's
3-Strikes.
Date last modified: 06/22/00.