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| January 08, 2000
Bigamy charge could send man to 25 years-to-life under 3-strikes. |
| January 17, 2000
FACTS joined up with the October 22nd Coalition and marched in the Martin Luther King Parade in Los Angeles on January 17th. Despite the threat of rain and a few sprinkles, thousands came out to see the parade. |
| February 1, 2000
Two Jurors tossed from panel for refusing to be part of process to give life sentence for $300 bike theft. |
| February 26, 2000
A march and rally against prop. 21 in Santa Ana attracted about 80 protestors. The group marched from Santa Ana College to the Santa Ana Police Station and back. At the rally were many speakers, including Mike Males who gave some personal interpretations of some of the latest statistics presented by the Justice Policy Institute. The Theatre By Actores De Santa Ana also performed a skit of a boxing match advertising "no on prop. 21." |
| March 4, 2000
About 200 people attended the March and Rally in Los Angeles and about 100 people attended the Dinner and Candle Light Vigil in Orange County. While the rain clouds stayed away during the Los Angeles demonstrations, unfortunately there was rain on the Orange County vigil. Among the speakers in LA were Assemblyman Rod Wright (author of bill to currently amend the 3-strikes law) and Rev. James Lawson. |
| March 7, 2000
Proposition 21 Passes (62% to 38%) and Broadens the California Three Strikes Law. |
| April 4, 2000
After driving all night, two busloads of people from So. California met up with people from No. California to attend the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing on AB2447 (a bill that proposes to amend the 3-Strikes law so the third strike must be for violent and serious offenses only). Several FACTS' members testified on behalf of family members and friends at the hearing in support of the bill.
Included in the testimony was an emotional speech by Joe Klaas, grandfather of the famous little girl Polly who was murdered and whose image was used to enact the 3-strikes law. Klaas spoke with much passion and was very upset that the image of his granddaughter had been used to help pass such a draconian law. At one point his testimony was so passionate that the audience cheered him loudly--at which the chair of the committee then had to admonish the audience for no more outbursts.
After the hearing there was a spirited rally on the steps of the Capitol as Assemblymembers Rod Wright, Carl Washington and Gil Cedillo spoke against the 3-strikes law. Dennis Duncan, President of LA chapter of FACTS also led the way as many FACTS members spoke against the law and told the stories of their loved ones locked in prison under the 3-strikes law. |
| April 20, 2000
Three Strikes and FACTS on Court TV. Featured was FACTS member Vivien Moen who talked about her son Doug. |
| May 7, 2000
60 Minutes devoted an episode to California's Three Strikes law on May 7th. The focus of the show was on Steve Bell who was facing a life sentence for stealing a bicycle from someone's garage in Placer County. Included in the show were comments from two jurors who refused to participate in the proceedings because they believed the sentence to be too harsh and then had to be dismissed and replaced by alternates.
The episode showed how the law is giving life sentences for minor offenses such as stealing batteries or stealing a pair of jeans. While the show was fairly presented, one major issue not revealed in the show is the disparity that the law has on people of color. The fact that Blacks make up 7% of the California population and 44% of the 3-Striker population was not discussed. |
| May 9, 2000
Three Strikes featured in web magazine Salon. |
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| Chronology of events during 2000 |
| January 08, 2000 | | January 09, 2000 | | January 17, 2000 | | January 26, 2000 | | January 31, 2000 | | February 1, 2000 | | February 5, 2000 | | February 12th and 19th, 2000 | | February 18, 2000 | | February 25, 2000 | | More » |
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