Jerry Brown, burning the late-night oil, told the feds that the only way the state could reduce the state prison inmate population further is to release violent felons. And who wants to do that?
From News10's John Myers: "In court documents just before the stroke of midnight, Gov. Jerry Brown argues that nothing short of the early release of violent criminals would fully meet the 2013 prison population target of federal judges... a mandate which Brown's team says they hope to avoid through a new appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court."
"The stark options offered in late Thursday's 40-page document, and additional documents filed by top officials, come in response to a three judge panel's threat last month to hold Brown in contempt of court for his administration's failure to lower California's prison population to about 110,000 inmates -- an order upheld in 2011 by the U.S. Supreme Court. As of last week, the state's prisons held 119,374 inmates ."
"The vast majority of the choices suggested aren't actually endorsed by state prison officials, say the court documents; nor are they doable by the governor alone. They include expanding credits many inmates earn for good behavior, rehabilitation, or educational activities -- thus granting more inmates an early release from prison. That is also an option the Brown administration says it doesn't support."
Meanwhille, the release of inmates and the steady transfer of state prisoners into county custody is prompting a new policy for some probation officers -- carrying guns.
From the LA Daily News' Christina Villacorte: "Since Gov. Jerry Brown began enforcing a U.S. Supreme Court mandate to ease unconstitutional overcrowding at state prisons in October, the county Probation Department has found itself watching over more violent criminals than ever before - 499 "very high risk" and 7,197 "high risk" AB 109 offenders as of March 29, according to Supervisor Michael Antonovich."
"In response, Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers is making the unprecedented move to more than triple the number of his armed probation officers, from 30 to 100."
"It is a natural response to an ever increasing number of higher threat individuals and the operations that go along with supervising them," Powers said in an interview. Recruitment is underway for Probation's elite Special Enforcement Operations Unit, and training should be completed by the end of the year."
After fierce legislative wrangling involving rival tribal interests, the Assembly narrowly approved a measure to allow an off-reservation casino.
From the Press-Enterprise's Jim Miller: 'In a rare legislative setback for members of Inland Southern California’s powerful tribal casino industry, the Assembly narrowly passed legislation ratifying a gaming compact between the Brown administration and a Central Valley tribe."
"The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon are among the critics of the pact that allows the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to open a casino with 2,000 slot machines along busy Highway 99, miles from its remote reservation."
"Supporters said the 20-year pact would boost the economy in a part of California with high unemployment and help improve the lives of tribal members. Opponents said the pact would unleash “casino-shopping” by tribes and investors seeking to open casinos near urban areas."
Speaking of the economy, the state's coffers are flush -- at least for now -- in a sure sign that the Great Miserable Interminable Recession finally has eased.
From the LAT's Chris Megerian: "California has been flooded with revenue this tax season and is on track to finish the fiscal year with a surplus of billions of dollars, according to officials."
"State coffers contain about $4.5 billion more than expected in personal income tax payments. Nearly $2.8 billion of it arrived April 17, the third-highest single-day collection in California history, according to government figures."
"Business taxes have also rebounded and are likely to be $200 million ahead of projections."
Nobody is using the dreaded word "drought" yet, but the Sierra snowpack is skimpy indeed, and that doesn't bode well for the summer.
From the AP's Tracie Cone and Rich Pedroncelli: "The survey showed the water content of what little snowpack does remain at 17 percent of normal, an ominous situation for a state that depends on a steady stream of snowmelt to replenish reservoirs throughout the summer."
"For nearly a century the state has been taking snow measurements at select areas across the Sierra Nevada in an attempt to gauge how much water will be available for farmers and city dwellers. Having a course bare of snow is not unheard of in May—the last month it is measured—but it's another stark reminder that water will be in short supply this summer."
"With the DWR projecting to supply just 35 percent of what 29 agencies providing water to 25 million Californians say they need, officials still are not ready to call it a drought."
And finally from our "Buzz Fuzz" file comes the tale of a Memphis cop who ran his car into a light pole. The moral here: Never drive on Elvis Presley Boulevard.
"A police chase ended in embarrassment for the officer when he crashed his car up an electricity pole instead of catching the suspect."
"Jonathon Bond lost control of the car on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee, while chasing a driver he suspected of not wearing a seatbelt.Officer Bond caught a guide wire as he took a corner and sent the vehicle flying. Thankfully he was wearing his seatbelt and walked away uninjured."
"But passing drivers who slowed down to take a closer look were stung for their curiosity. Officers attending the scene handed out tickets for slowing down traffic, reports News Channel 3."
