Ever since 2001, when California voters passed Proposition 21, prosecutors have had the option of trying juveniles charged with a felony in adult courts without having a judge review the cases first. The reason, say advocates, is that this allows courts to issue longer sentences for egregious crimes like murder. (At present, youths sentenced in juvenile court can only be kept in prison until age 25.)
Articles by Danny Wool
Stinky the Whale Stars in Santa Cruz
Very little is known about Stinky the whale, except that it likes anchovies and sardines (who doesn’t?).
The Dogs Are Back in Town
For the first time in 35 years, Santa Cruz residents were able to stroll down Pacific Avenue with their dogs. It marked the trial lifting of a downtown ban on dogs, in force in Santa Cruz since 1976. The new ordinance is only in effect from sunrise to sunset—every dog has its day, but nights are reserved for cats—and all dogs must be on a leash and within 3 feet of their owners. The animals must also have collars and vaccination certification. And of course, owners must clean up after their dogs in the event of any unfortunate accidents.
Sorokin Murderer Beaten in Jail
Kenneth Clamp, 41, who was convicted in the murder of Elias Sorokin two weeks ago, received a severe beating from three other inmates in the Santa Cruz County Jail.
Watsonville Votes to Keep RDA
Watsonville City Council has voted to keep its Redevelopment Agency, despite the new California law that dismantles all 400 agencies in the state and redirects their funding to cover the state’s budget deficit. According to the new law, cities that want to keep their RDAs will be required to pay what critics call a “ransom” to the state. In the case of Watsonville, this amounts to an initial payment of $3.2 million, due in January, and an additional $750,000 per year thereafter.
Trees Outside Central Library to Be Replaced
Six liquid amber trees that provide shade outside the Central Library in Santa Cruz are about to be removed.
National Go Topless Day in Santa Cruz
Sunday was National Go Topless Day and a sizeable group of women gathered outside City Hall with their shirts off to raise awareness of breast cancer. A sizeable group of men gathered around them, but their motives were more questionable. The event took advantage of the fact that Santa Cruz is one of the few cities in the United States where women are allowed to go topless in public.
County Edges Closer to Plastic Bag Ban
At its meeting this morning, Santa Cruz County’s Board of Supervisors will take further steps to introduce a ban on plastic bags, at least in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz. It’s a significant step forward. There are an estimated 500 retailers in these areas, and most of them hand out free plastic bags to their customers. The new law would eliminate these bags for everything but frozen goods, produce and meat.
Feds Press RTC On Highway 1 Expansion
The plan has been in the works for years, for eight years in fact. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission wanted to expand Highway 1, adding high-occupancy vehicle lanes between Soquel Drive and San Andreas Road, additional lanes between exits, and three new bridges for bicycles and pedestrians to cross the highway. The price tag for the total project is $503 million, but first it would have to get through an environmental impact report. Budgeted at about $12 million, the EIR alone has taken over a decade to complete.
Predictive Policing And SCPD
Budget cuts have taken a toll on the police. Though the SCPD gets 30 percent more calls than it did in 2000, the department has to answer these calls with 20 percent fewer officers. This takes an inevitable toll on the force, but Santa Cruz has come up with a model that may relieve the strain a bit.
