Media
Press Releases
Repeat Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Prison
Press Release (Woodland, CA) - (July 20, 2021) – West Sacramento resident Jayson Garcia was sentenced last week to 12 years, 8 months, local prison stemming from six separate drug trafficking arrests spanning a one-year period, and all committed while on mandatory...
AB 1542 Senate Health Committee
McCarty’s Drug Treatment Bill Passes out of Senate Health Committee AB 1542 would provide treatment to those involved in the criminal justice system who live with drug addiction Press Release (Woodland, CA) – July 15, 2021 – On July 14, 2021, California Assembly...
Yolo County District Attorney Welcomes New Legal Interns
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – July 7, 2021 – The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is excited to announce the addition of five legal interns who started the Summer/Fall internship program at the conclusion of their law school spring semester. These new members...
West Sacramento Man Convicted of 1995 Murder Granted Parole
Kenneth Buffer savagely beat James Williams over a drug deal Press Release (Woodland, CA) – April 18, 2019 – On June 29, 2021, Board of Parole Hearings commissioners granted convicted murderer Kenneth Buffer parole. Mr. Buffer, now 59, lived in Sacramento at the time...
Two Individuals Sentenced For Marijuana Cultivation On Public Lands Causing Environmental Harm
Press Release (Woodland, CA) - (June 24, 2021) – On June 16, 2021, Ruben Corza, age 34, of Orland, CA and Victor Banuelos, age 27, of Corning, CA were sentenced to two years’ probation and 90 days’ jail after having been convicted of felony marijuana cultivation...
Yolo County DA to Issue Warning of Homicide Charges for Narcotics Traffickers Causing Fentanyl-Related Deaths
Deaths Caused by Reckless Disregard for Known Risk is Driving New Policy Press Release (Woodland, CA) – June 17, 2021 – The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office will now require, with any plea agreement involving narcotics trafficking, that the prosecutor formally...
Commons Policy Changes
Press Release Yolo DA’s Office’s New Public Data Tool Reveals Racial Disparity in Cases Sent to Prosecutor’s Office, Inspires Immediate Policy Change New Policy Will Prevent Defendants with Criminal Histories from Automatically Being Disqualified from Diversion...
AB 1542 Passed Through Assembly Floor – Hope Yolo
McCarty’s Drug Treatment Bill Passes out of Assembly Floor and is Headed to the Senate AB 1542 would provide treatment to those involved in the criminal justice system who live with drug addiction (Woodland, CA) – June 3, 2021 – On June 2, 2021, California Assembly...
44 Elected District Attorneys File Suit Challenging the Early Release of 76,000 State Prison Inmates
Press Release | Filed Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (Sacramento, CA) – May 26, 2021 Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announced today that she and 43 elected District Attorneys across California, have filed a civil lawsuit against the...
Yolo County Criminal Justice Partners Helping to Decriminalize Those Who Live With Mental Illness
Article originally published by The Winters Express on May 19, 2021 by Community Content (Content from in an around the community, rather than staff) Yolo County’s Criminal Justice partners — the Probation Department, the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Yolo...
Why We Seek Justice
Our team at the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is comprised of a dedicated and diverse group of professionals. In our new video series “Why We Seek Justice” you will meet some of our amazing colleagues and hear their personal stories. We hope you enjoy!
Meet Deputy District Attorney Diane Ortiz
Meet Deputy District Attorney Kyle Hasapes
Meet Deputy District Attorney Amanda Zambor
Meet Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center Admin Clerk Shobna Sharma
Meet Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden
Podcasts
The Chronicles of Justice Episode 24: Car Break-ins
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 23: Citizens Academy Podcast
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 22: Breast Cancer Awareness – Virginia’s Story
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 21: Domestic Violence Awareness Month – 2017
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 20: From Victim to Survivor – A Story of Hope
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 19: An Interview with Lt. Dave Marshall
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 18: Yolo County Cannabis Task Force
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 17: Empower Yolo
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 16: Campus Detection Dogs
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 15: Safety at Picnic Day
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 14: Motorist & Bicyclist Collision Prevention
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 13: Human Trafficking Awareness
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 12: Campus Sexual Assault
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 11: Operation Vigilance
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 10: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 9: School Attendance Matters
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 8: Yolo Day Reporting Center & Restorative Justice
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 7: LGBTQIA Pride Month & Hate Crimes
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 6: Elder Financial Abuse
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 5: Victim Tribute
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 4: Child Abduction Unit
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 3: NHC Homeless Restorative Justice Program
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 2: Human Trafficking
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The Chronicles of Justice Episode 1: Sonias Story with DUI Prevention & Awareness
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Non-Violent Second Strikers
After a federal court ordered California to reduce prison overcrowding, a number of measures were put into place that result in early prison releases, including early parole consideration for individuals characterized as “non-violent second-strikers.” In order to qualify, inmates must not currently be serving a sentence for a crime which is legally categorized as a ‘violent felony’ and must not be required to register as sex offenders.
Starting January 1, 2015, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) began a new early parole determination process, evaluating “nonviolent second-strikers” for parole once they have served only 50 percent of their sentence or are within 12 months of having served 50 percent of their actual sentence. Upon receipt of inmate names from CDCR with a recommendation for release, the Board of Prison Hearings conducts an administrative review to determine if the inmate should be released from prison or retained for the term otherwise prescribed by law. The Board determines whether an offender would pose an unreasonable risk to public safety based on criminal history, behavior in prison, rehabilitation efforts, and written statements.
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office takes an active role in evaluating these cases and writes letters to the Board with an overview of the inmate’s criminal history, an opinion regarding the public safety risk posed by the inmate, and the appropriateness, or lack thereof, of an inmate’s early release. However, because our resources are limited, we do not prepare letters in every case. Instead, we focus our opposition efforts on offenders who we believe pose the greatest risk to the community.
Many of the offenders who are granted early release from prison have violent and lengthy criminal histories. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office feels it is important for the public to be aware of the so-called nonviolent offenders being released early from prison into our neighborhoods.
This web page was created to provide the names and criminal overview of the offenders who have been approved for early release despite our opposition. This list will be updated on a regular basis.