Officials Outraged After Judge’s Order to Release Half of Orange County Inmates
Officials in Orange County, California, are outraged after a Superior Court judge ordered Sheriff Don Barnes to release 50 percent of the inmates at county jails due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
The order to release half of the county’s inmates was issued by Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson Dec. 11 after a lawsuit was brought in front of the court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of inmates who claim to be at high risk of COVID. The plaintiffs in the case include jail inmates who are medically vulnerable or suffering from significant underlying health conditions.
‘Not The Answer’: OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer Blasts Judge’s Order To Reduce County Jail Population Syndicated Local – CBS Los Angeles
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer on Saturday released a statement criticizing a court ruling ordering the O.C. Sheriff to reduce jail populations by 50% as a coronavirus precaution.
Spitzer argued such actions could bring more crime to communities and said steps have already been taken to reduce jail populations.
“A judge’s ruling to reduce the inmate population in the Orange County jail system by half will release dangerous and violent criminals back into our neighborhoods to commit more crimes and victimize more people. This is not fearmongering; it is a fact. The jail population, through the implementation of $0 bail and early release by the Sheriff, has been reduced by more than 33% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement began.