Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 154

Top 10 boys golf rankings

Top 10 boys golf rankings

1. Stevenson:

2. Carmel:

3. Salinas:

4. Palma:

5. San Lorenzo Valley:

6. York:

7. Hollister:

8. Monte Vista:

9. Santa Cruz:

10. Pacific Grove:

On the bubble: Aptos, Rancho San Juan, Monterey, Alisal, Alvarez.

Top 10 boys’ volleyball rankings

Top 10 boys’ volleyball rankings

1. Santa Cruz:

2. Harbor:

3. Soquel:

4. Monterey:

5. Carmel:

6. Alisal:

7. Hollister:

8. Palma:

9. Seaside:

10. Rancho San Juan:

On the bubble: Salinas, York, Watsonville, San Lorenzo Valley, North Salinas.

Johnson-Toney Football Camp

The Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County will showcase the 13th annual Johnson-Toney free football camp.

The camp, for boys and girls ages 9-14, will be held June 24-27 at the Cal State Monterey Bay soccer fields, with boys and girls ages 15-17 slated for July 22-25 at Rabobank Stadium in Salinas.

Ron Johnson and Anthony Toney, who both played for the Philadelphia Eagles, have been a part of the camp since its inception when it was called the Herm Edward Football Camp.

The camp is non-contact, mirroring the NFL Play 60 Character Camp. Coaches will teach basic football skills, as well as gratefulness, self-control, loyalty, honor, truthfulness and integrity.

The youth camp is limited to 300 participants, with the high school portion limited to 100 players. Deadline to register is June 23. Register on-line at bgcmpc.org

Horoscopes April 20, 2025: George Takei, invite change into your life

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Joey Lawrence, 49; Carmen Electra, 53; Jessica Lange, 76; George Takei, 88.

Happy Birthday: Invite change into your life. Keep the momentum flowing until you reach your destination of choice. Put some thought into updating your look and marketing yourself for success. Speak passionately about your dreams, hopes and wishes, and follow through. Send positive vibes to the universe, and you’ll get the attention and response you need to complete your mission. Let your actions speak for you, and choose peace over rage. Your numbers are 7, 19, 23, 25, 37, 43, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Raise awareness and participate in events that help you understand where your presence, skills and experience will have the most impact. Take better care of your health and well-being by distancing yourself from harm’s way. Share positive ideas and congregate with like-minded people, and progress will be yours. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The possibilities will be endless once you start. Channel your energy into something that leads to positive results. Fixing your living space to accommodate your needs will help you reach your objective. Set high standards, shoot for the stars and believe in yourself, and you’ll gain ground. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Question everything. Knowledge, experience and connecting with the right people will help point you in a better direction. Curiosity will become a learning experience that enables you to formulate your next move. Start by changing what you don’t like about yourself and your life, and you will clear a path to a brighter future. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Forward thinking is necessary. Let go of the past and see what the future holds. Change is an essential process if you want to improve your life. Distance yourself from negative influences and project positive and helpful suggestions. Recognize and reject scammers and anyone trying to confiscate your identity or cash. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Getting together with old friends will brighten your day. Travel, communication and learning are favored and will contribute to your choices regarding lifestyle, direction and friendships. Interest groups that address issues of concern will motivate you to join forces with or donate to someone who can help make a difference. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Set boundaries, know your limitations and protect your reputation, assets and meaningful relationships. An upfront, positive attitude will ward off trouble and deter anyone from trying to take advantage of you. Avoid temptation, indulgence and vulnerability. Let intelligence be your guardian, patience your savior, and peace and love your journey. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pay attention to paperwork, contracts and joint ventures. Second opinions will be helpful, along with reviews and any other indicators pointing to lying, cheating or scammers in your midst. Trust your instincts and opt to handle whatever you encounter swiftly and succinctly. Home and domestic improvements will make your life easier. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Stick close to home; venturing out will lead to unsafe situations or difficulties with those you encounter. Put credence in personal improvements that boost your confidence. Love and romance can flourish when you share plans. Personal investments will result in positive lifestyle changes that offer happiness and stability. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be wary of wheelers and dealers. It’s in your best interest to avoid gambling, temptation and indulgent behavior. You can have fun without putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Stick close to home and protect what you’ve worked hard to establish. Trust your instincts, not the sales pitch. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Physical improvements will boost your morale, giving you the courage to say and do things you may be too shy to do otherwise. While your mojo is in overdrive, put it to good use and approach people you want to get to know better. Discipline and persistence will pay off. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep an eye on what others are doing. The changes happening around you will indicate how to make the most of whatever situation you find yourself in. Look for the positive, and you’ll find a niche that comes naturally and encourages you to follow your heart and do your own thing. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ve got some good ideas, but don’t turn something simple into a complexity. Stick to basics, work with what you’ve got and avoid unnecessary expenses. Establish what’s important to you and avoid going over the budget you allocate to reach your goal. It’s your drive and desire that will deliver success. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are proactive, competitive and meticulous. You are perceptive and adaptable.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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SF Giants even series as Roupp dominates everyone but Angels’ Mike Trout

Landon Roupp had everyone figured out but Mike Trout Saturday night and that proved to be enough for the Giants in a 3-2 road win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Roupp went a career-high seven innings while improving his record to 2-1. He gave up two runs on solo homers by Trout and nothing else. He walked just one, struck out nine and threw 96 pitches, 62 of them strikes.

“It’s new territory for him, with nine punchouts and only one walk,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “He kind of splits the plate with his sinker with his breaking ball going the other way. He threw a few changeups to keep them off balance and he did it in less than 100 pitches, so it’s pretty impressive.”

Tyler Rogers threw a scoreless eighth and Ryan Walker the ninth for his fifth save. Walker’s first order of business? Retire Trout, who threw a scare into the Giants with a deep drive to left that was tracked by Heliot Ramos.

Walker then gave up a single to Jorge Soler before Matt Chapman slipped while fielding a ground ball by Logan O’Hoppe on a 3-0 count, but managed to throw him out from his knees. Chapman caught a spike in the dirt and landed on his hand which is wrapped because of a laceration but limped back to his position and finished the game.

“That could have been bad,” Chapman told NBC Sports Bay Area. “There was a chunk of dirt, I went to fix it and Walker got set super quick . . . sure enough, it’s hit right at me. I fall and land on my hand, but was able to make the play, get the out. I was nervous I was going to give them an extra out and we were going to have to keep playing baseball.”

The final out came on a fly ball to center by Nolan Schaunel with pinch runner Tim Anderson at second.

The Giants, 14-7, can win their fifth series of the season with a win Sunday over the Angels and are 5-4 on a 10-game on a 10-game road trip. Los Angeles fell to 10-10. The Giants return home for seven games against Milwaukee and Texas starting Monday.

Chapman hit a two-run home run in the first, his fourth of the season, against Angels starter and loser Kyle Hendricks (0-2).

Hendricks tops out around 86 miles per hour but compensates with a good changeup and control.

“He might not have the  most overpowering stuff, but he has the ability to pitch (inside), hit the corners and keep you off-balance,” Chapman said. “It’s sneaky and it’s someone that has given me trouble in the past.”

Trout, who struck out three times the previous night against Logan Webb and the first time against Roupp, unloaded in the fourth for his seventh homer. It wasn’t a wall-scraper either, traveling 435 feet and leaving the bat at 115.2 miles per hour on a hanging curve.

Getty ImagesMatt Chapman of the Giants circles the bases after a first-inning two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels.

Trout wasn’t finished. He hit another solo homer down the left field line against Roupp in the sixth.

Roupp, however said his curve is as good as it’s ever been, and his sinker, or two-seam fastball, offered a pitch that to right handers can either break back over the plate or run in on the hands.

“The sinker was probably the best its been all season,” he said. “I told (pitching coach) J.P. (Martinez) when I’m getting my sinker to the glove side, that’s when I’m the pitcher I know I can be.”

As for giving up the homers to Trout, Roupp was philosophical.

“As competitors, you know I don’t want to do that, and that’s the guy I want to get out the most,” Roupp said. “But you’ve just got to learn from it and move on.”

After being shut the previous night, Chapman got the Giants on the board in the top of the first with his blast to left. It came on an 0-1 pitch, a changeup above the belt that Hendricks probably regretted the moment it left his hand.

The Giants led 3-0 in the third when Willy Adames singled to right off a Hendricks changeup to drive in Mike Yastrzemski, who hit one-out double to right. Adames, who was 6-for-32 on the road trip, was thrown out in rundown as Yastrzemski scored.

Related Articles SF Giants put Casey Schmitt on IL, their first transaction of the season SF Giants lose second straight despite Webb’s gem against Angels SF Giants split series on afternoon featuring hot heads, high tempers SF Giants’ Trivino reflects on earning first victory since 2022 Can Jimmy Butler fuel a Warriors playoff run like prior midseason acquisitions for Bay Area teams?

NOTES

— Melvin left Wade in to hit against the left-handed Reid Detmers and the first baseman hit a line shot to shortstop Zach Neto for an out. Wade, Melvin said, would give way to David Villar at first base against the left-handed Yusei Kikuchi (0-3, 4.13) on Sunday. Justin Verlander (0-1, 6.75) will start for the Giants.

Villar was called up from Triple-A Sacramento as a replacement for Casey Schmitt, who went on the injured list with with a strained oblique for the Giants’ first roster move of the season.

 

 

 

High School track: Adams establishes career marks at Mt. Sac Relays

WALNUT — Clara Adams’ assault on the county record books continued Saturday as she rewrote her own track and field record in the 400 meters, lowering her mark to 54.07 seconds at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut.

A fourth place podium finisher last season as a freshman in the 400 at the State Championships, the North Salinas sprinter finished third overall, moving her to No. 4 in the state.

The North Salinas school record holder in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 meters, Adams came back 60 minutes later and blistered the 200 into a headwind in a career best 24.03.

The reigning Central Coast Section champion in the 200, Adams has set a personal best in the event in back-to-back meets, running 24.19 last week at Arcadia.

Adams is No. 2 all-time in the county in the 200 behind 2000 Monterey graduate Sani Roseby, who ran 23.53 in 1999. Roseby went on to qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 hurdles in 2004 and the 100 meters in 2008.

Top 8 Meet

Regarded as a prelim to what might be in store in five weeks at the Central Coast Section finals was in display at Los Gatos, with several county athletes earning podium finishes at the Top 8 Meet.

Among them was Carmel distance ace Mack Aldi, who ran a career best 1:52.74 in the 800 to finish second. A state meet qualifier last spring, the mark is under the state qualifying standard of 1:53.64.

On the heels of winning four events in a dual meet Wednesday, Palma hurdler Ozzy Godoy ran a career best 14.99 in the 110 high hurdles to place third overall, then clocked 39.09 in the 300 intermediate hurdles later in the meet to place second.

Palma’s Elsie Sargenti took third in the 100 hurdles, blistering the race in 15.21 seconds. She was also on the school’s fourth place 400 relay team that included Adalyn Jefferson, Alison Guerra and Brooke Iverson (49.51).

North County’s Nadia Anastacio, a CCS finalist last year in the 400, took third Saturday with a mark of 57.47, while Alvarez’s Angela Ayozie uncorked the discus a career best 130-3 to place fifth. Salinas’ Emma Beck placed sixth in the long jump at 17-3, while Bella Ortega of Carmel took fourth in the pole vault, clearing 11-feet.

 

Pro Soccer: Union equal franchise record after draw in Lexington

LEXINGTON, KY — Extending their unbeaten streak by equaling a franchise record for consecutive matches without a loss will keep Monterey Bay FC on top in the Western Conference.

The Union stretched their unbeaten streak on the pitch to six Saturday, turning to their defense to play Lexington to a scoreless draw in Kentucky.

Since dropping their United Soccer League Championship season opener in San Antonio, Monterey Bay FC has gone 4-0-2 since to maintain a two-point lead in the Western Conference over San Antonio and New Mexico United.

The Union (4-1-2) will visit defending conference champion New Mexico United (4-1-0) – owners of four straight wins since a season opening loss to Sacramento – on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The two teams split their season series last year with Monterey Bay FC shutting New Mexico 1-0, before falling 3-2 later in the year on the road.

Monterey Bay FC, who has never made the postseason, has been in first place for eight consecutive days, the longest in the team’s four-year existence.

With 14 points, the Union have the second best record in the USL behind Eastern Conference leader Loudoun United FC, who has 18 points, and shares the second most wins in the league with four.

For the fifth time in their last six matches, the Union held an opponent scoreless in the second half, posting their third shutout in the first seven weeks of the USL season.

Goalie Nico Campuzano was sensational when called upon between the pipes to earn his third shutout of the season against the expansion Lexington team.

Despite failing to score in three USL matches this year, Monterey Bay FC has outscored opponents 10-5, knocking off defending USL champion Colorado Springs FC last week at Cardinale Stadium.

While Lexington has managed just one win in its inaugural season, it has played to four ties, the most in the USL through the first third of the season.

Despite Monterey Bay FC holding an advantage in time of possession, Lexington — who has failed to score in their last two matches — outshoot them 15-9, while blocking seven shots.

Will home-court advantage matter in Warriors, Rockets series? Here’s what the numbers say.

HOUSTON — If the Warriors want to win the franchise’s fifth championship of the Steph Curry era, they will have to do so without home-court advantage in their first-round series against Houston that starts Sunday and probably any other matchup along the way.

That is not the end of the world, according to Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who recently said that having home-court advantage does not provide the upper hand like it once did. 

“The 3-point shooting is such a variable, and it feels like in the old days, it was much more of a grind-it-out, 2-point game,” Kerr said. “It just didn’t feel like the opponent had as much of a chance to suddenly get hot and take over the momentum of the game.”

The seventh-seeded Warriors (48-34) entered the postseason fourth in 3-point makes (15.4) per game, and the No. 2 seed Rockets (52-30) 21st at 12.7.  

Having a roster filled with playoff-tested veterans such as Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler has also been touted by the team in recent weeks. 

None of Golden State’s experienced core is going to be phased by raucous road atmospheres. Especially in Houston, where Curry, Green and veteran big man Kevon Looney faced the James Harden-led Rockets four times in five seasons between 2015 and 2019 – and won them all, including a seventh game in Houston.

“We understand the environment, even just being in the city, how to spend time during a two-game-in-five-day stretch,” said Curry, while noting that the rest of the team was not around for those playoff battles.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks with Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) after their 124-119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies for their NBA play-in tournament game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

But are upsets, like the one Golden State seeks to pull off, really more prevalent in the modern NBA? 

And how much does 3-point shooting really affect the outcome?

The numbers paint a complicated picture. 

From 2005 to 2024, there have been 160 first-round playoff series. Of those, the lower seed has won 34 times.

But despite what Kerr said, upsets have not become more prevalent with the rapid increase in 3-point shooting.  

Twenty of those upsets occurred before 2015, the season that Kerr took over the Warriors, Golden State won its first title in decades and the NBA’s 3-point revolution began in earnest. 

While the team that made more 3-pointers accounted for 19 series wins, of the six most-recent upsets over the past two years, only two of those teams made more threes than its opponent. 

Golden State was one of those two in 2023, when Curry went to Sacramento and scored 50 in Game 7 while making seven 3-pointers himself in the first-round upset. 

The Warriors’ veteran experience, at least on paper, is also not an overwhelming advantage. 

Though bench players might skew averages, the team with an older average age accounted for just 12 of the 34 upsets. 

However, Golden State has good reason to believe it does not need home-court advantage to win against the young Rockets. 

During the teams’ epic seven-game series in the 2018 conference finals, Houston was the top seed. 

The Rockets proceeded to infamously brick 27 straight 3-pointers, while Kevin Durant scored a game-high 34, to propel Golden State to a 101-92 victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. 

James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets goes up against Kevon Looney #5 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 28, 2018 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

And in 2022, the eventual champion Warriors earned the No. 3 seed and knocked off second-seeded Memphis in the second round.

Once they reached the championship round, Curry’s Warriors won twice in Boston – including the series clincher in Game 6 – to capture the franchise’s fifth title. 

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“It always helps to have home-court advantage, and that’s why we fight so hard for it,” Looney said. “But with our experience, we know we can win on the road, and we know we can win at home, so we’re not scared to go into somebody else’s place and try to get a win.”

The Warriors also have Butler, who twice (2020 and 2023) led Miami to first-round upsets en route to shocking runs to the NBA Finals. 

And before Kerr arrived, Curry’s postseason coming-out party in 2013 occurred when he lit up the Nuggets to help the sixth-seeded Warriors win in six games, and the “We Believe” Warriors in 2007 captivated the NBA world by stunning the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks 4-2. 

So while upsets have not become as common as long-distance shooting, there is still plenty of reason to believe the Warriors have a terrific shot at becoming just the third No. 7 seed to pull off a first-round upset in the past 20 years. 

SF Giants put Casey Schmitt on IL, their first transaction of the season

The Giants made their first roster move Saturday, putting infielder Casey Schmitt on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.

Schmitt was announced as the starter Friday night, but was scratched in favor of LaMonte Wade Jr.

“It happened right before the game, hitting in the cage, probably 25 minutes before the game,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said following a 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Infielder David Villar, designated for assignment at the close of spring training, was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento to take his place.

It was the first transaction of the season for the Giants, which under president of baseball operations Buster Posey have attempted to bring more stability to the big league club both in terms of the lineup and sending players to the minors. It has paid off so far with a 13-7 record going into Saturday night’s game against the Angels.

Last season by April 19, the Giants had made six roster moves.

Schmitt has played primarily first base this season on days when LaMonte Wade Jr. is rested. HIs defense has been a pleasant surprise, but Schmitt was hitting just .174 (4-for-24) with no homers and two RBIs. Wade has been in a horrible slump since the season started and going in to Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .096 (5-for-52) with a homer, seven RBIs, eight walks and an on base percentage of .213.

Wade was still in the lineup and batting sixth Saturday night against the Angels’ Kyle Hendricks, against whom he has a .364 (4-for-11) career batting average with a pair of home runs.

Villar was hitting .368 in Sacramento wit a home run, seven RBIs, 13 walks, a .439 on base percentage in 15 games. After 23 games in the spring, Villar was outrighted to Sacramento on March 29, an indication maybe his chance with the Giants had slipped away.

“Quite the turn of events, and I’m happy for him,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “He’s been this organization for awhile, you feel l ike you get passed by, and you get designated and think, `Do I need to go to another organization?’ “

Melvin said Sacramento manager Dave Brundage gave Villar a glowing review in terms of effort and professionalism.

“He was playing hard every day, wasn’t making any excuses,” Melvin said. “Wasn’t whining about not getting the opportunity, and then he produced, and that’s why he’s here.”

Like Schmitt, Villar has position versatility, having played 44 career games at third base and 27 each at second base and first base.

The other option at first base for the Giants Wilmer Flores, who has been exclusively a designated hitter so far and leads the National League with 23 RBIs to go along with six home runs and a .225 batting average.

The Giants also transferred outfielder Jerar Encarnacion (wrist surgery) to the 60-day injured list.

AP PhotoGiants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee is putting up All-Star caliber numbers through 19 games.

Webb’s `wasted’ gem

Right-hander Logan Webb got his first loss of the season on a night where he struck out 12 batters and walked no one, giving up one earned run in six innings.

“Feels like a wasted pitching effort,” Melvin told reporters. :He gives up one earned run, punches out 12, doesn’t walk anybody. That’s a really good performance.”

According to Elias Sports, Webb became just the fourth Giants pitcher since the pitcher’s mound was moved to its current distance in 1893 to have 10 strikeouts and no walks. He joins Madison Bumgarner (12 times), Tim Lincecum (five times) and Juan Marichal (four times).

“I look up to those guys,” Webb said. “Any time you’re on a list with those guys you’re doing something right.”

Although seldom breaking 95 miles per hour in velocity, Webb generated 16 swings and misses with a sinker, change-up and sweeper. In 30 innings, Webb has 38 strikeouts and a 2.40 earned run average.

He struck out Angels’ slugger Mike Trout three times.

“Mike Trout likes the ball down and Logan’s a down pitcher, but there’s subtle movement both ways now,” Melvin said. “There’s big movement with the sweeper and he pitches in the zone up enough too. Another feather in his cap tonight.”

While Webb admitted he’d trade efficiency for strikeouts — lamenting the amount of pitches he missed by a wide margin while ahead in the count — he was encouraged by the the movement on his change-up.

“I’m super excited about the change-up,” Webb said. “It’s the most confident I’ve felt in a long time on that pitch, back to the end of 2023. I’ve got to keep trusting it, keep that confidence.”

Related Articles SF Giants even series as Roupp dominates everyone but Angels’ Mike Trout SF Giants lose second straight despite Webb’s gem against Angels SF Giants split series on afternoon featuring hot heads, high tempers SF Giants’ Trivino reflects on earning first victory since 2022 Can Jimmy Butler fuel a Warriors playoff run like prior midseason acquisitions for Bay Area teams?

NOTES

— Center fielder Jung Hoo Lee dropped a perfect drag bunt down the third base line in his first at-bat with Luis Rengifo playing deep and to the left. Had he bunted it with slightly more force, it would have probably been a double.

Lee is slashing .361/.420/.653 (1.073 OPS) with 10 doubles, a triple, three homers, 14 RBIs, three steals and 19 runs in 19 games. The last Giants hitter to have an OPS of 1.070 or higher through 19 games was Posey in 2021 (1.175).

— The Giants’ loss Friday night was just their second to an American League team against eight wins.

 

 

 

 

 

California Republicans want to get tougher on crime. Are Democrats shifting their way?

Republican state Sen. Brian Jones has been trying to block sex offenders from being released from prison through California’s elderly parole program for several years. Last week, for the first time, his bill to do so made it out of its first committee.

It was just one of many votes Senate Bill 286 will have to survive in a long road ahead in the Capitol, but it caught Jones’ attention. In a Legislature dominated by Democrats who often shelve Republican tough-on-crime proposals, the approval from the Senate Public Safety Committee was unanimous.

“I don’t think it would have passed a committee last year,” said Jones, the Senate minority leader.

California’s Democratic legislators — who for years have been passing progressive measures designed to reduce sentences and lessen mass incarceration by emphasizing more rehabilitative solutions to crime — were dealt a blow last fall when an overwhelming majority of voters approved Proposition 36.

The measure backed by business owners, police and Republicans, increased sentences for some drug and theft crimes, partially undoing more lenient measures that voters approved just 10 years ago. Though many Democrats opposed the measure, they’re now tasked with providing funding to carry it out.

Jones, of San Diego, said he’s seeing Democrats inching toward stricter incarceration measures as a result. He said he saw a window to bring back the legislation this year.

“The smart Democrats are getting it,” he said. “The voters spoke overwhelmingly.”

The Public Safety Committee also gave unanimous approval this month for another bill Jones authored, SB 379, that would add regulatory guardrails before the Department of State Hospitals releases sexually violent predators. It’s his fourth year in a row pushing that measure; the proposal passed the Senate and died in the Assembly last year, after failing to clear a single committee both years before that. SB 432, authored by a different Republican senator to increase penalties for selling or giving fentanyl to minors, also got unanimous approval in the committee this month.

Freshman Sen. Jesse Arreguín, an Oakland Democrat who chairs the committee, said his fellow Democrats don’t intend to return to an era of overcrowded prisons or harsh penalties for lower-level crimes. But he acknowledged they’re also shifting their thinking in response to their voters, and called that approach “pragmatic.”

“That was the direction I was given as chair of the Public Safety Committee, was that we need to provide more balance in terms of how we look at criminal justice policy,” he said, referring to the Democratic caucus. “Just focusing specifically on restorative justice and prevention, and not focusing on accountability (for offenders), that’s not where the voters are now.”

Criminal justice reforms still advancing

So far, the shift hasn’t been enough to worry Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, a group that advocates for reduced imprisonment and pushed for the 2014 sentencing changes that voters approved.

She pointed to bills her organization has sponsored that are also advancing through the Legislature, including legislation to expand the state’s efforts to clear criminal records to give past offenders second chances, and to require that the California Department of Corrections apply more good behavior credits to reduce prisoners’ time served. With the state tight on cash, she said she doesn’t believe lawmakers will be eager to significantly increase imprisonment and sees a “consensus that we shouldn’t go back that way.”

“Even Prop. 36 wasn’t a referendum on reform,” Hollins said. “There’s still plenty of support for different approaches to public safety that really address the root cause and prevent crime from happening in the first place.”

Any stricter measures the Legislature approves this year will ultimately be narrow, with Republicans pointing to extreme examples to push their case.

State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican, during the state Senate Appropriations Committee session in Sacramento on Sept. 1, 2023. (Rahul Lal – CalMatters)

Jones’ elderly parole bill targets a program the Corrections Department first created in 2014, in response to a court order to reduce prison crowding, that allows prisoners who are older than 60 and have served at least 25 years of their sentences to petition for release.

He tried in 2019 to restrict those convicted of sex offenses from being eligible; the bill never got a hearing. In 2020, lawmakers quietly lowered the eligibility for some prisoners to age 50, if they’ve served at least 20 years, though many have not been approved for release. The following year, Jones proposed a bill undoing that change for sex offenders, which went nowhere.

Between January 2021 and June 2024, the Board of Parole Hearings released 1,762 people through the elderly parole program, corrections spokesperson Emily Humpal wrote in an email. Department data analyzed by CalMatters show that while more people have been released under the elder program since 2021, the rates at which the board grants parole fluctuate between 14% and 20% each year, hovering just above the board’s overall parole-granting rate. The department would not immediately provide a breakdown of their convictions, nor of how many of those released were between the ages of 50 and 60.

Now, 12,303 people currently imprisoned – nearly 14% of the prison population – are eligible for either form of elderly parole, Humpal said.

Jones’ bill would bar those convicted of sexual felonies such as rape and child sexual abuse from parole eligibility at age 50. It would not affect their eligibility upon turning 60, or the parole eligibility date in their original sentences.

He also proposed blocking the earlier eligibility from people convicted of murder, but Arreguín’s committee removed that provision with Jones’ agreement before voting to advance the bill.

Proponents of the measure, including San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, say victims shouldn’t be forced to relive the trauma of parole hearings and the prospect of their abusers’ release before the end of their original sentences.

They point to Mary Johnson, who identified herself as the childhood victim of rape and sexual abuse by her uncle. The abuser, Cody Klemp, was originally sentenced in the 1990s to 170 years. In 2023, under the elderly parole program, the Board of Parole Hearings recommended his release — then rescinded the decision last year. His next hearing is scheduled for 2029.

“Suddenly, I was no longer a 49-year-old woman, but I was a 13-year-old trapped and powerless and fighting again,” Johnson said in a press conference. “No victim’s family should have to fight over and over again to ensure that a dangerous predator serves the sentence that they were given.”

Closing the doors on the rehabilitated?

A group of criminal justice reform and civil rights advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union opposes the legislation, arguing it would close the door on those who have been rehabilitated in prison and pose less of a public safety risk. Studies have found the chances of re-offense decrease as a defendant ages.

Gary Harrell, who was given a life sentence for his participation in a murder, testified that despite becoming eligible for parole in 1984, he wasn’t released until about 40 years later, after he had gone before the parole board about 20 times. He said in the last two decades of his incarceration, he turned his life around, and now works a day job while in his spare time giving homeless Sacramento residents food and hygiene products.

“I have taken so much from others and now it’s time to give back and do my part to make the world a better place,” he said. “I hope you can see that the people who will be impacted by this bill are people like me who have changed and want to give back.”

Arreguín said he proposed removing Jones’ exclusion of people convicted of murder to focus the bill on sex offenses.

That tactic has yielded bipartisan backing in the last legislative session.

In 2023, Republican Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield pushed a bill to increase penalties for child sex trafficking. Democrats in the Assembly Public Safety Committee resisted but, after a public outcry, Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped in with rare public comments in support of the legislation, which ultimately won more Democratic support and his signature.

Last year Grove’s bill to increase penalties for soliciting a minor for prostitution — targeting the buyers of sex — also prevailed. Senate Democrats carved out exclusions for 16- and 17-year-olds who are allegedly solicited, out of concern it would inadvertently rope in older teenagers who aren’t actually involved in or victims of trafficking. (The legal age of consent is 18.) This year, Grove is turning heads with a bill, Assembly Bill 379, co-authored with an Assembly Democrat, to undo those exclusions and apply the changes to all minors.

Jones acknowledged the tactic of focusing on sexual offenses is an incremental step toward tightening criminal sentences overall.

“We’re smart enough to know how far we can go,” he said.