Bloggers note: Yes, I am aware Sheriff Cooper is a Democrat. He was once in the State Assembly and held a leadership position. I also understand he has either 2 wives/girlfriends/baby mommas etc. I have also heard through the grapevine that he is a piece of work morally and personally. I am also aware I am going to be heaping some praise on a Democrat so go ahead take my Republican card again.
The point of this blog is to try to convince the MAGA wannabe Republicans that Democrats actually can do some good. Cooper, as mentioned above, has issues, but like I tell Democrats to do with Trump, separate the person from his politics. Cooper like Trump is a piece of work. Cooper is responsible for the “Cooper Cams” in Sacramento County. (Red light cameras) that I am of the belief are unconstitutional and illegal, but cities need $$$.
You see two things can be true at once. Yes, Cooper is a Democrat, but he is also very tough on criminals/crime. Cooper, to his credit, wants a ballot initiative (proposition) to reverse the early release of sexual predators.
Here is some background:
Jim Cooper’s initiative comes amid increased calls to change California’s elderly parole program, which allows some violent criminals—including child rapists and murderers serving life sentences— to be released early. This program was established after the U.S. Supreme Court put California on notice in 2011 for its overcrowded prisons.
Sacramento sheriff announces ballot initiative aiming to keep sexual predators in prison
In the interest of fairness, the prisons were packed, the basketball courts were filled with bunk beds, and California had a problem. A court appointed Receiver (judge), Clark Kelso, was put in charge of resolving this.
We also passed a ballot initiative decriminalizing a lot of crimes and allowing early release for “non-violent” felons. Prop 57 may have had ok intentions, allow me to explain. I do think some people’s sentences, for slight amounts of drugs, are excessive in nature even for career criminals. My thinking is locking that person up for a decade is “occupying a bed” for a much more hardened criminals or releasing one early to make room. Simply on man’s opinion.
Cooper, since getting elected sheriff, has been trying to undo the bad parts of that law.
Through Cooper’s measure, known as “Protect Our Kids: Reform Prop 57,” sexually violent predators would be excluded from being considered for early release. The sheriff has been vocal about his frustration over the elderly parole program.
The elderly parole program is Liberal Democrat poop. I care little about compassionate release for a murderer or sexual predator. I could care less if they are 90 and have a myriad of health issues. Do the crime, do all your time.
Here are two examples cited by Cooper at his press conference:
Recently, serial child rapist David Allen Funston was released under this program, but Placer County officials immediately took him back into custody to face child molestation charges from 1996.
Good on that DA!
Gregory Vogelsang, who was sentenced to 355 years in prison for sexually abusing young boys in Sacramento County, is also set to be released under the program. For the time being, he will stay in custody for at least another four to six months after being granted parole in November 2025.
Vogelsang had served 27 years of his overall sentence.
27 years out of 355. Please explain that one to me! Please!
The term non-violent is blarney. Yes, sexual predators are not violent, they are the opposite. They want to gain you or your child’s trust, lure them in, and have their way with them. Why would they be violent? Oh, they weren’t violent in jail either. Weird, it’s almost like they would be the first one’s killed by the other inmates. They are usually in a separate lock-up as putting sexual predators in with the general prison population is a death sentence. So yeah, it makes sense they would be model inmates in prison.
In closing, I will say this, Cooper is on to something and as a Democrat sheriff, he actually will have the ears of lots of Democrat electeds. This is not the case of a far-right Republican sheriff from a sparsely populated county screaming MAGA at the top of his lungs. I don’t know if this will ever qualify for the ballot but give him a lot of credit here. If nothing else, the ballot measure may get the folks thinking we messed up and need to correct the law on the books.
The one thing overlooked about sexual predators is they have far more victims than the ones who came forward. Many do not want the mental anguish of testifying in court or even looking at their perpetrator. We previously profiled someone accused of rape on this blog, he too likely has a long list of victims who never came forward. You see when you have a sexual attraction to those aged under 18, it’s actually uncurable or reversible. Yeah, it’s that pesky thing called “science” you “pro-covid shot” whackos kept citing during the pandemic. Simply put, you cannot help that person. The fact they are released back into society is wild, let alone after a fraction of their sentence. Oh, also this group has one of the highest recidivism (that means re-offender) rates of all criminals, because as stated previously it’s not something that can be treated. I blame pornography for the lion’s share of this, by the way. Rapists I associate to a dog who bites someone. If they do it once then the likelihood of doing it again is very high. These guys too need to be locked up and the key thrown away.
As far as the compassionate release part; screw that. These people victimized and traumatized folks for the rest of their lives! Justice gets served with 3 hot meals and a cot, complete with guards to make sure nothing happens to them while incarcerated. Why should they get a chance to get out early? What the heck! Oh, compassion you say? Was the perp compassionate when he was committing his crimes? Get that wad of garbage out of here.
I say all prisons in California should be required to have a cemetery on site. All who are admitted with life without parole or a massive number of years to be served should be walked past it on the way to their cell. They shall be told this is where you will lay after you pass, you will not be getting out early under any circumstances unless your conviction is thrown out. (This was once the case at Folsom State prison, but the cemetery hasn’t added to its Democrat voter rolls of deceased individuals in many years.) Do that and you will likely see crime plummet. The idea that a perpetrator can be let out early from their sentence is unfathomable to me, where is the justice?
The Chief
PS Oh, by the way, CRA where are all of your “tough on crime” DA and sheriff types on this? I hear a lot of crickets. If you separate Cooper’s personal life from his political one, he isn’t that bad.