paralegal services

County of Santa Cruz
oz3 7
COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
701 OCEAN STREET, SUITE 520, SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060-4073
(831)454-2100 FAX: (831)454-3420 TDD: (831)454-2123
SUSAN MAURIELLO, J.D., COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Agenda: August 4, 2015
July 24, 2015
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
County of Santa Cruz
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
REPORT ON PROPOSITION 47 OUTREACH
Dear Members of the Board,
On June 23, 2015, your Board directed staff to return on today's agenda with a review of the Proposition
47 outreach request submitted on the last day of 2015-16 Budget Hearings. Over the past month, staff
have worked with representatives from the United Way of Santa Cruz County, the Watsonville Law
Center, the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, a broad-based Proposition 47 Outreach
Committee convened by United Way staff, and the County's Probation Department to refine the proposals
and to identify funding. The purpose of this letter is to update your Board on these discussions and other
efforts to develop and implement a countywide outreach strategy.
As your Board is aware, the County's 2015-16 budget included a total of $75,000 for Proposition 47
outreach activities. This provided a General Fund appropriation of $50,000 to the Public Defender for
paralegal services related to Proposition 47 and $25,000 in AB 109 funds for outreach and related
Proposition 47 activities. On the last day of budget hearings, the Board heard a request from the United
Way, Watsonville Law Center and Community Action Board asking for an additional $30,000 to augment
the $25,000 from AB 109 funding that was already allocated to the United Way and Watsonville Law
Center. This allocation is expected to increase slightly. Upon reviewing the request, County staff believes
that the proposed activities are being adequately addressed by current efforts.
The Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) approved the use of one-time AB 109 carryover funds
during the 2015-16 fiscal year to publicize the availability of record reduction through Proposition 47 in
order to increase reentry success. Using a rapid selection process with existing service providers, the
Probation Department is working with the United Way and Watsonville Law Center on the scope of work
to match available funds. It is anticipated that the one-time funds will support the following outreach
activities:
•
Clinics coordinated by the Watsonville Law Center- Four Proposition 47 record reduction clinics
will be held on a quarterly basis, including legal training for clinic volunteers and printed materials.
•
Outreach materials coordinated by the United Way- Flyers, posters, postcards and fact sheets
will be created to increase public awareness of the Proposition 47 record reduction clinics with a
wide circulation to public agencies, service providers, health care centers, housing providers,
employment and shopping centers and community partners, including food banks, churches and
libraries.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY- WORKING FOR THE FUTURE
23
REPORT ON PROPOSITION 47 OUTREACH
Agenda : August4 , 2015
•
0238
Page 2
Summit coordinated by the United Way - A one-day event will be held to raise community
awareness, provide stakeholder training and offer Live Scan services to kick-off the first
Proposition 47 record reduction clinic.
CCP funding of these outreach activities will augment the action already taken by your Board to allocate
general funds to paralegal services under the direction of the law office of the Public Defender, Biggam ,
Christensen & Minsloff. These paralegal services are available to research records to pro-actively identify
people who may be eligible to apply for a reduction of a felony to a misdemeanor as provided under
Proposition 47. Once identified and located , clients will receive information about their options under
Proposition 47 , and technical and legal assistance to obtain a copy of their criminal record , to complete
the Proposition 47 forms and file them with the District Attorney and Superior Court. The Public
Defender's Office provides a consolidated approach to filing, tracking and following up on applications
for resentencing and reclassification. Public Defender staff will also refer successful applicants to the
resources, benefits and privileges that are restored when a felony is reduced to a misdemeanor. The
Public Defender's Office created the attached Proposition 47 brochure, available in English and Spanish,
for distribution at the County's correctional facilities and elsewhere throughout the County.
Additional outreach activities wi ll be handled by several County departments, including the County
Administrative Office, Probation , Sheriff's Office, Human Services and Health Services. These activities
will include developing and disseminating Proposition 47 information to the media and convening
Proposition 47 outreach meetings. County staff are also pursuing grant opportunities for additional
activities such as funds for the airing of public service announcements on television, radio and the internet
and targeted outreach, education and legal services to the immigrant community, and to lower the costs
for obtaining the required fingerprint image and criminal history for low-income Proposition 47 petitioners.
It should also be noted that budget augmentations relating to immigration activities were approved by the
Board during the 2015-16 Budget Hearings. The actions taken provided $10 ,046 for the Santa Cruz
County Immigration Project through the Community Action Board and $10 ,000 for the Low Pa id Worker
Project through California Rural Legal Assistance. These projects can also support dissemination of
Proposition 47 information to eligible clients in those programs.
In summary, the implementation of outreach activities by County staff, the United Way, the Watsonville
Law Center and the Public Defender described above encompass nearly all of the activities outlined in
the proposal that your Board received on the last day of 2015-16 Budget Hearings. Staff will work to
identify grant and other funding to address the needs of special populations, to reduce the costs to
indigent persons for obtain ing records required with petitions, and for air time for the media campaign .
It is therefore RECOMMENDED that your Board accept and file this report on Proposition 47 outreach
activities . Staff propose to return to your Board with our partner agencies to update you on the
implementation of countywide outreach under Proposition 4 7 on November 10, 2015 .
~::o~
SUSAN A. MAURIELLO
County Administrative Officer
Attachments
cc :
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United Way of Santa Cruz County ; Watsonville Law Center; Community Action Board of Santa
Cruz County; Public Defender; Probation Department; Sheriff-Coroner; .Human Services
Department; Health Services Agency
SERVING THE COMMUNITY- WORKING FOR THE FUTURE
QUESTIONS
If you have any further questions or need
assistance with obtaining Prop 47 relief in
Santa Cruz County, please contact us:
Jim McMillin
Office of the Public Defender
2103 North Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, C~ 95060
831-429-1311
[email protected]
ll. . .
PROP 47 ELIGIBLE OFFENSES:
~PLE DRUG POSSESSION
Includes possession of cocaine, heroin,
methamphetamine, concentrated cannabis, etc.
THEFT OFFENSES INVOLVING LESS THAN
$950.00
Includes Grand Theft, Petty Theft, Forgery, Check Fraud,
Credit Card Fraud, Possession of Stolen Property,
Commercial Burglary, Etc.
WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY FOR
PROP 47 RELIEF?
COMPLETED SENTENCES
Having a felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor will
help you in applying for and obtaining jobs as well as
student and governmental assistance. If you are
re-sentenced while incarcerated, your jail or prison
sentence, as well as any fines imposed, will likely be
reduced. However, you .may still be required by the Court
to report to a probation or parole officer upon your release
from jail or prison.
IS THERE A TIME LIMITATION ON APPLYING FOR
PROP 47 RELIEF?
PERSONS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PROP 47 RELIEF
You will not be eligible for Prop 47 relief if you have a
prior conviction for any of the following:
·
• Murder or Attempted Murder
• Gross Vehicular Manslaughter
• Solicitation to Commit Murder
• Assault with a Machine Gun on a Peace Officer of
Firefighter
• Possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction
• Any Sex Crime Requiring Registration under Penal
Code section 290(c), including Rape, Child
Molestation, Sodomy, Sexual Battery, Indecent
Exposure, and Possession of Child Pornography
• Any serious or violent felony punishable by life in
prison or death
HOW TO OBTAIN RELIEF
Yes. Any Application or Petition for relief under Prop 47
must be filed with the Court within three years of the
effective date of the law. Thus, you must file your
Application or Petition before November 4, 2017.
If you have already completed your sentence on a Prop
47 eligible offense, you may apply to have your felony
conviction - no matter how old it is - converted to a
misdemeanor conviction by filling-out a form available
from the Court titled APPLICATION FOR
REDESIGNATION AS MISDEMEANOR (Penal Code §
1170.18(f)). If the Court determines, after reviewing
your Application, that you are entitled to relief, the
Court must re-classify your felony conviction as a
misdemeanor. The Court can do so without scheduling
a hearing.
CURRENTLY SERVING A SENTENCE
If you are currently serving a sentence on a Prop 47
eligible offense, or are currently on probation,
mandatory supervision, post-release community
supervision, or parole for a Prop 47 eligible offense, yOL
must petition to court to be re-sentenced, using a form
available from the Court titled PETITION FOR
RESENTENCING (Penal Code§ 1170.18(a}). The
Public Defender's Officer is willing to assist you in
preparing and filing the Petition. If the District Attorne}
objects to re-sentencing, the Court will schedule a
hearing to determine if you are eligible for Prop 47
relief. If you are eligible, the Court must grant you relie
unless it finds that re-sentencing you would pose an
"unreasonable risk of danger to public safety."
WHAT IS NOT COVERED BY PROP 47?
QUESTIONS
If you are granted relief under Prop 47, you will still be
If you have any further questions or need assistance
with obtaining Prop 47 relief in Santa Cruz County,
please contact us:
obligated to pay any court-ordered restitution to
victims of your offense. Also, you will still be prohibited
from owning or possessing firearms for the rest of your
life.
Jim McMillin
Office of the Public Defender
2103 North Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-429-1311
[email protected]
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t.PREGUNTAS?
Si tiene alguna pregunta o necesita ayuda
para obtener alivio bajo Prop 47 en el
Condado de Santa. Cruz, por favor p6ngase
en contacto con nosotros:
Jim McMillin
Office of the Public Defender
2103 North Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-429-1311
[email protected]
NJlELITOS ELEGIBLES BAJO PROP 47:
l,POR QUE DEBERIA SOLICITAR AUVIO
BAJO PROP 4 7?
:..i>sESION DE DROGAS
lncluye posesion de cocafna, herofna, metanfetamina,
cannabis concentrado, etc.
DELITOS DE ROBO CON VALOR MENOR DE
$950.00
lncluye Hurto Mayor (Robo Mayor), Hurto Menor (Robo
Menor), Falsificacion, Fraude de Cheque, Fraude de
Tarjeta de Credito, Posesion de artfculos robados,
Allanamiento Comercial (Robo Comercial), etc.
PERSONAS INELEGIBLES PARA ALIVIO BAJO
PROP 47
Usted no sera elegible para alivio bajo Prop 47 si usted
tiene una condena anterior por cualquiera de los
siguientes:
• Asesinato o lntento de Asesinato
• Homicidio Vehicular Bruto
• Solicitud para cometer asesinato
• Asalto con una ametralladora en un oficial de policfa
o bombero
• Posesion de un arma de destruccion masiva
• Cualquier del ito sexual que requiere el registro bajo
Ia seccion 290(c) del Codigo Penal, incluyendo
Violacion, Abuso Sexual de Menores, Sodomfa,
Agresion Sexual, Exposicion lndecente, y Posesion de
Pornograffa lnfantil.
• Cualquier delito grave o violento castigado con
cadena perpetua o pena de muerte
i.OUE NO ESTA CUBIERTO POR PROP 477
Si se le concede alivio bajo Prop 47, todavfa estara
obligado a pagar cualquier restitucion por orden
judicial a las vfctimas de su delito. Ademas, aun se le
prohibira ser dueno o poseer armas de fuego para el
resto de su vida.
COMO OBTENER ALIVIO
SENTENCIAS CUMPLIDAS
Tener una condena de un del ito grave reducido a un delito
menor le ayudara en Ia solicitud y obtencion de empleo, al
igual asistencia estudiantil y gubernamental. Si es
re-sentenciado durante su encarcelamiento, es probable
que le reduzcan su pena de carcel 0 prision, y las multas
impuestas. Sin embargo, todavfa puede ser requerido por
el Tribunal que se reporte a un oficial de libertad
condicional tras su salida de Ia carcel o prision.
i.HAV UN LiMITE DE TIEMPO PARA SOLICITAR
ALIVIO BAJO PROP 477
Sf. Cualquier solicitud o peticion para alivio bajo Prop 47
debe ser presentada ante el Tribunal dentro de los tres
anos de Ia aprobacion de Ia ley. Por lo tanto, usted debe
presentar su solicitud o peticion antes del 4 de noviembre
2017.
Si ya ha cumplido su sentencia por un del ito elegible
bajo Prop 47, puede solicitar que su condena por ese
delito grave -no importa que tan viejo es- sea
convertido a un delito menor si !lena una forma
disponible en Ia Corte nombrada APPLICATION FOR
REDESIGNATION AS MISDEMEANOR (Penal Code §
1170.18(f)). [APLICACI6N PARA RE- DESIGNACJ6N
COMO DELITO MENOR C6digo Penal § 1170.18 {f) .]
Si, despues de revisar su aplicacion, el Tribunal
determina que tiene derecho a Ia ayuda, el Tribunal
debe reclasificar su condena de un delito grave a un
del ito menor. El Tribunal puede hacerlo sin tener que
citar una audiencia.
ACTUALMENTE CUMPLIENDO UNA
SENTEN CIA
Si actualmente esta cumpliendo una condena por un
delito grave elegible bajo Prop 47, o esta actual mente
en libertad condicional, bajo supervision obligatoria, o
supervision comunitaria despues de ver sido liberado,
debe presentar una peticion a Ia corte para ser
re-sentenciado usando Ia forma disponible en Ia Corte
nombrada PETITION FOR RESENTENCING (Penal
Code 1170.18(a)). [PETICION PARA SER
RE-SENTENCIADO C6digo Penal § 1170.18(a).] La
Oficina del Defensor Publico esta dispuesto a ayudarle
en Ia preparacion y presentacion de Ia Peticion. Si el
Fiscal del Distrito se opone a Ia re-sentencia, el Tribunal
fijara una audiencia para determinar si usted es elegible
para alivio bajo Prop 47. Si usted es elegible, el Tribunal
debe concederle alivio a menos que re-sentenciandole
seria "un riesgo irrazonable de peligro para Ia seguridad
publica."
PREGUNTAS
Si tiene alguna pregunta o necesita ayuda para obtener alivio bajo Prop 47
en el Condado de Santa Cruz, por favor p6ngase en contacto con
nosotros:
0
Jim McMillin
N
Oficina del Defensor Publico
........
N
2103 North Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-429-1311
[email protected]