Criminal Justice Legal Foundation

10/09/2026

At our October 1 press conference, CAHP President Jake Johnson stood alongside victims’ families, prosecutors, and law enforcement leaders to defend victims’ rights and demand accountability.

His message: Victims deserve to be heard. Their rights must be protected. The promise of justice must be kept.

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞.

🎥 Watch his remarks below.

10/07/2026

State Sen. Roger Niello joined a coalition including PORAC, CJLF, Anne Marie Schubert, prosecutors, law enforcement leaders, and victims' families to oppose new California regulations regarding people serving life without parole. While some refer to the rules as a release pathway, the coalition notes that the parole board cannot directly release prisoners under these measures. Instead, the regulations allow for recommendations for commutation by the governor or for courts to conduct recalls and resentencing.

https://davisvanguard.org/2026/10/niello-joins-law-enforcement/

10/06/2026

The Governor's office says our lawsuit is about "political rhetoric," not public safety.

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 💙

For 27 years, Officer Keith Boyer served the Whittier community. At 53, he was preparing to retire—a future with his family that was tragically stolen.

On February 20, 2017, Officer Boyer was murdered while responding to a traffic collision. Fellow Officer Patrick Hazell was also shot and wounded.

In December 2021, Michael Christopher Mejia was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering Officer Boyer and Roy Torres.

Beyond the badge, Keith was a father, grandfather, and musician who loved playing the drums. Whether serving his community or sharing his music, he brought a familiar smile and a spirit of kindness. We remember the whole man—and the family whose lives were forever changed.

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.



Governor Gavin Newsom

10/02/2026

Crime victims’ families, advocates, and law enforcement officials are standing together to say: NO MORE.
Their loved ones can no longer speak for themselves. So we will speak for them.
Governor Gavin Newsom

10/01/2026

𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐂𝐉𝐋𝐅 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐘.

Today at the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento, victims’ families, prosecutors, law enforcement leaders and advocates joined CJLF, PORAC, Senator Roger Niello and CAHP to speak out against California’s new regulations creating a pathway toward reduced sentences for certain prisoners—including those serving life without parole.

As the rules take effect today, the coalition is supporting CJLF’s lawsuit challenging the California Board of Parole Hearings’ authority to establish this process.

Together, they shared a powerful message: 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭.

“Cops knocked on these families' doors. We told them the worst news of their lives. We told them there'd be justice. I'm not going to stand by while that gets quietly undone. Their loved ones can't speak today. So we will.”— 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭, 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐂 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

“A change this consequential belongs before the Legislature and the people of California, with victims’ families heard and elected officials held accountable for their votes. The state should not use administrative regulations to undermine the finality families were promised when a court imposed life without parole.”
— 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼, 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁

“For victims, the original crime does not become a historical event simply because decades have passed. Birthdays, anniversaries, family milestones, photographs, and ordinary moments continue to carry the absence of a murdered or permanently injured loved one.”— 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧

“When that worst day comes, the least a decent state can do is keep its word. Life without parole is not cruelty. It is the only mercy left for the living: the mercy of not having to fight the same battle on repeat.”— 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐂𝐀𝐇𝐏 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

“It begins with preparing to speak again about the crime, the person they lost, and why the original sentence was imposed. No regulation can give a family back the peace that process takes from them. An administrative rulemaking process is not a substitute for the legislature or the voters in deciding whether the promise of life without parole should be changed for thousands of families.”
— 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝘼 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙉𝙆 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮:

· 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲
· 𝐃𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭, parents of 17-year-old murder victim Justine Vanderschoot
· 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 , Senate Republican Leader-elect
· 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢, President, California District Attorneys Association; Monterey County District Attorney
· 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐇𝐮𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭, Kings County mother of Ryan and Zachary Hulbert, whose killer received two life-without-parole sentences
· 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭, Vice President, Peace Officers Research Association of California
· 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫, Orange Co. Mother of murder victim Blaze Bernstein, Attorney, Podcaster, Producer “PeppTalks with Jeanne”
· 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬, on behalf of California Police Chiefs Association
· 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧, brother of Frank Carlson, murdered in San Francisco in 1974
· 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧, President, California Association of Highway Patrolmen

𝘼 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙉𝙆 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙩𝙤:
Nina Salarno, Victim Advocate Angels, Violet and Sierra Giovanni, Lisa Wienke, Kari Freed, Angie Chavez, Leslie Acoca, Anabel Velasquez and Gina Chavez

𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐬—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

Learn more and support our work: https://cjlf.org/protect-victims
Learn more about the lawsuit here: https://cjlf.org/cases-briefs/chavez-et-al-v-board-of-parole-hearings


Governor Gavin Newsom

10/01/2026

Livestream of today’s press conference:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/01/2026

Tune in to the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation press conference now! https://www.youtube.com/live/pMdRnDoAxdw

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/01/2026

Link for CJLF / PORAC Press Conference Livestream
https://www.youtube.com/live/pMdRnDoAxdw

PORAC (Peace Officers Research Association of )

09/30/2026

𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖: 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐒. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐘.

Can’t attend? Watch the livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/pMdRnDoAxdw

Victims and families deserve to be heard. Bring a friend, share this post, and stand with us!

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.

09/25/2026

Today, on the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬, we honor the lives taken by violence and stand beside the families who carry their memories forward.

Please join us tonight, 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐨 𝟖:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌 on the West Steps of the California State Capitol. We will be supporting Sacramento Chapter POMC and victims' families in honoring loved ones who have died by violence. Join the candle light vigil to hear from those who lost loved ones. Come early to meet other support groups and state agencies that help homicide survivors.

Bring a photo of your loved one and/or a decorated shoe in their memory. We hope you’ll join us as we remember them together. ❤️🖤