Senate Public Safety Committee Shoots Down Senator Bate's Anti-Crime Bill

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA —Senator Pat Bates's goal was to expand the definition of serious violent crime, and crack down on sex offenders who attempt to evade authorities, however Senator Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel was shot down, at least temporarily.

The Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday rejected one, and no vote was taken on another of three anti-crime bills introduced by Senator Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel. One success, with regards to clarification of conviction in DUI bill, has been forwarded on to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Committee members expressed concern that the two bills Bates pitched would increase the prison population at a time when state officials must reduce it, Bates' communications director Ronald Ongtoaboc said.

"Senator Bates wants to address the committee's concerns," so the bill that would expand the definition of "serious violent crime" to a number of crimes will be "pushed back at least a few more weeks," Ongtoaboc said.

The committee also rejected a bill that would crack down on sex offenders who cut off a global positioning service device to evade authorities. It was inspired by Steven Dean Gordon and co-defendant Franc Cano who were charged with killing four Orange County prostitutes.

Gordon and Cano had cut off tracking devices before they were placed back on monitoring bracelets and continued on the alleged killing spree. Gordon has been sentenced to death and Cano is awaiting trial.

The committee did approve Bates' bill that would clarify that a felony driving under the influence conviction -- even if it is reduced later to a misdemeanor -- can be used as a prior felony offense when a driver is caught again. That bill has been sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Jacqueline Goodman, a Fullerton attorney who is treasurer of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, which bills itself as the nation's largest statewide organization of criminal defense lawyers and allied professionals, said the legislation would increase crime.

"CACJ, along with countless legal experts, those on all sides of the criminal justice process, and persons of conscience who seek to make our communities safer and more prosperous by being `smart on crime,' strongly opposes SB75," which seeks to expand the list of serious violent felonies, Goodman said.

"The ill-conceived legislation would effectively double the number of crimes for which violators could serve life in prison --including, for example, theft crimes where no actual violence occurred.

This, along with SB 67 and SB 69, appear to be knee-jerk responses to recent progressive initiatives passed by the voters themselves to remedy California's broken system of mass incarceration which, experience and studies have shown, makes our communities less safe and increases the incidence of violent crime, now and for generations to come. Californians deserve better than that."

Ongtoaboc said Bates' legislation seeks to reduce crime.

"Senator Bates has authored bills that specifically target people who pose a danger to the public such as repeat DUI offenders, sex offenders who cut off their GPS devices, and those who commit heinous crimes that are considered legally `non-violent,' " Ongtoaboc said.

"In regards to SB 75, she cannot comprehend how anyone can say with a straight face that crimes such as assault with a deadly weapon on law enforcement, vehicular manslaughter and human trafficking involving a minor should continue to be considered `non-violent.' She believes it's appropriate to put those who commit such crimes in prison longer to help keep communities safe."

City News Service contributed to this report.

Senator Pat Bates official Senate Photo