Man’s remains found 3 years after major California flood
COULTERVILLE, Calif. ( AP) — The body of a man who went missing during a flood three years ago has been found in Northern California, authorities said Monday.
John Honesto, 67, disappeared after driving his truck down State Route 132 near Coulterville during a major storm on March 22,
2018.
The highway was washed out and when Mariposa County sheriff’s deputies found his truck in a culvert the next day, Honesto wasn’t in it.
Sheriff’s officials said hikers in the area of Piney Creek found a body in mud on Jan. 31. Deputies recovered the remains and transported them to the coroner’s office.
Honesto was identified using dental records, a sheriff’s statement said.
“Mr. Honesto has been returned to his family; we are thankful they are finally able to have closure,” the statement said.
LOS ANGELES ( AP) — Los Angeles County prosecutors took the progressive new district attorney to court and won a ruling Monday blocking some of his reforms that would reduce sentences for criminals.
Superior Court Judge James Chalfant issued a preliminary injunction blocking some directives District Attorney George Gascon issued to end enhancements that can add years to prison sentences.
Gascon took office in December and immediately put in place criminal reforms that he campaigned on, such as vowing not to seek the death penalty, not prosecute juveniles as adults and ending the use of sentencing enhancements that trigger stiffer sentences for certain elements of crimes, repeat offenses or being a gang member. Gascon has argued that enhancements don’t make communities safer.
Gascon overcame opposition from law enforcement unions during his campaign to unseat two- term incumbent Jackie Lacey and quickly found himself facing stiff opposition from within his office.
Career prosecutors took the unusual step of suing their new boss.
They claimed the directives violated state law, their oath of office and ethical and professional obligations.
“The court ruled as we expected in holding that the district attorney cannot order his prosecutors to ignore laws
that protect the public from repeat offenders,” the union said in a statement.
“The court ruled that the district attorney’s policy violated the law to benefit criminal defendants and ordered him to comply with the law. This ruling protects the communities which are disproportionately affected by higher crime rates and those who are victimized.”
Gascon initially issued a blanket directive ending all sentencing enhancements.
After blowback from crime victims and rankand- file prosecutors, though, he revised the policy to allow enhancements in extraordinary circumstances in hate crimes, elder abuse, child
abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking and financial crimes.
Enhancements run the gamut from so- called three strikes offenses, where a third serious or violent felony can lead to a life sentence, to special circumstances like use of a gun in a murder case that bring a life term without possibility of parole. Other enhancements can add years to a prison sentence if proven at trial.
Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School, said the ruling is a setback for Gascon, but not the final word.
He could appeal the ruling and he can further finetune the directives.
Levenson said it was unusual that the internal fight had spilled into the courts.