Is there an age limit on evil? California bill argues there is
SACRAMENTO -- "There is no age limit on evil." Those were words spoken against Senate Bill 94 by a California murder victim's sister at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday. The comment came as part of a hearing for a bill that would allow convicted murderers who were sentenced to life without parole or the death penalty to petition for parole.
The "Recall and resentencing: special circumstances" bill was introduced by Senator Dave Cortese. The bill would allow convicted killers who have served 25 years of their sentence, and if the offense occurred before June 1990, to petition for parole. There are exceptions outlined in SB-94, which include that the person cannot be convicted of more than two homicides and cannot have any sexual offense convictions related to a killing.
Supporters say the killers deserve a chance to be free because they would be too old to be violent.
Individuals who are convicted of killing a peace officer would not be eligible if the bill passed.
"I think the misunderstanding on the part of the legislators who voted for it all made the same comment that this is a very narrowly tailored bill that will only apply to a few people in prison and that's simply not the case," said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire.
Gire said the notion that convicted murderers can change their ways due to their age or the idea that violent offenders are not able to commit violent crimes due to their age is not the case.
