Media
Press Releases
DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze: Be Safe and Responsible if Participating in 4/20 Festivities
Press Release April 20, or 4/20, is a “holiday” among marijuana users. Although recreational and medicinal use of marijuana is legal in California, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office wants to remind drivers that it is dangerous and illegal to drive under the...
McCarty’s Drug Treatment Bill Passes out of Public Safety Committee
AB 1542 “Hope Yolo” would provide treatment to those involved in the criminal justice system who live with drug addiction Press Release (Woodland, CA) – April 15, 2021 – On April 13, 2021, California Assembly Member Kevin McCarty’s Yolo County Bill passed through the...
YCDA Honors Victims During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Press Release Yolo County District Attorney’s Office has planned two events to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and to introduce the community to important resources and services available. These events will occur, in commemoration of National...
West Sacramento Man Convicted of Murder is Granted Parole
Press Release On April 7, 2021, the Board of Parole Hearings granted parole to 41-year-old David Cree of West Sacramento. Cree is currently an inmate at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, CA. The hearing took place virtually due to the COVID pandemic. This...
You’re Invited to Attend the Launch of “Commons”
The Transparency Portal Created by Measures for Justice and Yolo County District Attorney’s Multi-Cultural Community Council Press Release (Woodland, CA) – April 5, 2021 – On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at 12 noon, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, in...
Yolo County Prosecutors attend Implicit Bias Training
Press Release On March 31, 2021, the Yolo County District Attorney’s hosted a mandatory human relations facilitated training for all Yolo County prosecutors. The main goal of the training was for prosecutors to develop a better understanding of how implicit bias can...
Over 831 New Crimes Committed by Individuals Released on $0 Bail
Nearly 42% of those released on $0 Bail have been rearrested at least once Press Release As a result of Yolo County Superior Court’s continued use of $0 bail, over 831 new crimes have been committed. In April of 2020, the California Judicial Council imposed the “$0”...
Preliminary Hearing for Derrick Woods Charged in Death of 13 month old Advanced to March 30, 2021
Press Release The preliminary hearing for 43-year-old Sacramento man, Derrick Dimone Woods, charged with felony charges of Murder with a Special Circumstance for Inflicting Torture in the Commission of the Murder, Assault on a Child under Eight with Force Likely to...
Amazon Settles Consumer Protection Lawsuit Relating to Reference Price Advertising
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – Amazon, Inc. has been ordered by a San Diego judge to pay $2 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by California District Attorneys contending that Amazon’s advertised reference prices were either misleading, or potentially misleading, to...
Over 744 New Crimes Committed by Individuals Released on $0 Bail
41% of those released on $0 Bail have been rearrested at least once Press Release (Woodland, CA) – March 1, 2021 –As a result of Yolo County Superior Court’s continued use of $0 bail, over 744 new crimes have been committed. In April of 2020, the California Judicial...
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
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.