Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Closed Board of Directors
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Dimitrios Alexious, Don Averill, Deborah Barmack, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Rashelle Bussell, Ken Coate, Bill Easley, Neil Macready, John Mirau, Lou Monville, Charlie Ng, Tom Nightingale, John Prentice, Kristine Scott, Larry Sharp, Paul Shimoff, Christina Bivona-Tellez, Steve von Rajcs, Phil Waller and Stan Weisser.
Guests: Robbie Broedow, Paul Granillo and Nathan Miller
Announcements: 1) The Inland Action web site is now up and running. Members are encouraged to visit the site to establish their passwords and verify their respective information. Photo representations of member businesses are requested. 2) Today is the last day to submit comments to the Redistricting Commission. The Commissions new maps will be revealed on July 14th. Please go to www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov
M/S/P: Minutes of the June 21, 2011 meeting
Lou Monville introduced Paul Zellerbach, Riverside County District Attorney.
Paul Zellerbach spent 22 years in the Riverside County District Attorney’s office before being elected to the bench in 2000. Feeling he had more to offer off the bench, he was elected as Riverside County District Attorney and took office in January 2011. D.A. Zellerbach stated that he has the best job in the world as he gets to wear the “white hat” again now that he is back in the D.A.’s office.
Since he took office he has been able to reduce his budget through structural changes and attrition from 9.3 million to 4 million. Although challenged by budgetary concerns, his office has many successes. He has encouraged his staff of investigators and attorneys to work more on trial preparation. The success of his direction is dramatic with conviction rates at trial rising from 41% to 85%.
He has met with Governor Brown and understands that realignment is part of the Governor’s plan to have local governments take responsibility for many services now provided by the state. AB 109, the bill that would make counties responsible for incarcerating and supervising certain lower-level offenders, does not address the funding needed for this realignment. D.A. Zellerbach is confident that counties can do better than the state with parole and reentry programs. All jails are full here, however, and there is uncertainty as to where prisoners will be housed when you add in the 1,500 prisoners who will be returned to Riverside County. The 67% recidivism rate indicates a real need to re-think the criminal justice system. He is encouraging community involvement in his office and has created a Community Advisory Board.
D.A. Zellerbach has suggested establishing a Veteran’s Court. Los Angeles currently has a Veteran’s Court and Riverside County can create a similar system coordinating with nearby veterans facilities such as VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.
The key to the Three Strike Law is in the judicial and prosecution systems. Not all Three Strikes warrant a 25 years-to-life sentence. Prosecutors should be making the decision based on individual cases if the Three Strikes law applies. Discretion must be used so as not to abuse the Three Strikes.
He and San Bernardino County D.A. Mike Ramos are working collaboratively to create a regional approach. Recently they have focused on gang violence and marijuana collectives.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 a.m.