Media
Press Releases
Learn about the Criminal Justice System at the Yolo County District Attorney’s Citizens Academy
Applications now being accepted Press Release (Woodland, CA) – February 24, 2023 – Applications are now being accepted for the annual Yolo County District Attorney Citizens Academy. The academy is sponsored by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office in cooperation...
3 Yolo County Parole Hearings Held Last Week
The Board of Parole Hearings granted two parole requests and denied another Press Release (Woodland, CA) – February 21, 2023 – During the week of February 13, 2023, three parole lifer hearings took place in prisons across California on individuals sentenced to life or...
Zero Bail Case Study – Zero Bail Policies Increased Crime in Every Category
Zero bail policy resulted in 163% more total crime & 200% more violent crime Press Release (Woodland, CA) – In August of 2022, the Yolo County District Attorney published a study and associated analysis of the criminal re-offense rates of individuals released from...
Two Sacramento Women Charged with Grand Theft after being Arrested for Organized Retail Theft
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – February 7, 2023– Today, Sacramento residents Tavia PatriciaMarie Augustus, aged 27, and Patricia Ann Givens, aged 35, were arraigned on charges alleging grand theft. Augustus was also charged with false representation of identity to...
Yolo County Man Charged with Organized Retail Theft and Multiple Counts of Grand Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Theft
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – February 6, 2023– On February 2, 2023, Robert James Richey, II, was arraigned in Yolo County Superior Court and pled not guilty on charges alleging retail theft, grand theft, and retail theft. Richey, 42, who has been transient in Yolo...
Man Convicted of Forcible Rape Sentenced to State Prison
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – January 27, 2023 On January 26, 2023, Yolo County Superior Court Judge Dave Rosenberg sentenced 23-year-old David Padilla-Chicas to three years in state prison for forcible rape. Padilla-Chicas, a resident of San Pablo, CA, was found...
West Sacramento Man Charged with Stealing Catalytic Converter
Press Release (Woodland, CA) – January 26, 2023- Bill Young, Jr., 38, of West Sacramento was arraigned in Yolo County Superior Court on charges related to a catalytic converter theft. Young Jr. was arrested by the West Sacramento Police Department on January 22, 2023,...
Conviction in 2009 West Sacramento Cold Case Homicide
Press Release (Woodland, CA) - (January 13, 2023) – On January 13, 2023, 60-year-old Robert Spurlin of West Sacramento pled guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter for the June 13, 2009, murder of West Sacramento resident, Monica Turknett. Mr.Spurlin, who was the live-in...
West Sacramento Murderer Denied Parole
Crips gang member shot and killed 16-year-old Robert Castro in 1996 Press Release (Woodland, CA) – January 12, 2023 – On January 10, 2023, a two-member panel of the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) unanimously found 46-year-old Daniel Robinson unsuitable for parole...
Fraud Alert – Beware of Holiday Scammers
Press Release (Woodland, CA) December 22, 2022 - The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office has been receiving an increased number of reports from potential victims, about scammers who are impersonating friends and loved ones in an effort to scam them out of money....
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.