June 06, 2016 - 10:10 AM
SAN FRANCISCO - The Latest on the California Supreme Court's ruling on the governor's prison initiative (all times local):
10:15 a.m.
The California Supreme Court has allowed Gov. Jerry Brown's bid to put his plan to reduce the state's prison population before voters in November.
The justices Monday rejected a lower court ruling that said Brown improperly amended a juvenile justice initiative to increase sentencing credits for adult inmates and allow earlier parole for non-violent felons.
The lower court judge said the governor's changes violated a 2014 law that requires that amendments are reasonably related to the original initiative and new initiatives receive 30 days of public comment.
Brown said the changes were needed to help keep the inmate population below the level required by federal judges, and it was too late to start over and still collect the nearly 586,000 signatures needed for a ballot measure this year.
___
7:15 a.m.
The California Supreme Court is set to decide whether Gov. Jerry Brown can put his plan to reduce the state's prison population before voters in November.
At stake in the ruling expected Monday are Brown's amendments to a juvenile justice initiative increasing sentencing credits for adult inmates and allowing earlier parole for non-violent felons.
Brown says the changes are needed to help keep the inmate population below the level required by federal judges.
A Sacramento County judge in February said the governor went too far when he amended the juvenile justice initiative. The judge said the governor's changes violated a 2014 law that requires that amendments are reasonably related to the original initiative and new initiatives receive 30 days of public comment.
The state Supreme Court appeared divided on the issue during oral arguments in May.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016