- Archives

Prop. 66 supporters vow to continue fight to reform 'three strikes' law
In the wake of a loss at the polls this week, supporters of Proposition 66 ---- an initiative that would have eased the state's "three strikes" law ---- vowed Wednesday to take their battle for reform to the Legislature. "Nothing ends today," said Pam Martinez, a former Vista resident and three-strike convict who fought for changes to the decade-old sentencing law. "Even though this specific proposition was defeated, it's not a defeat for reform. We will pursue this." Had it passed, Prop. 66 would have overhauled the "three strikes" law to allow sentences of 25 years-to-life only if the third felony conviction was for a serious or violent crime. As it stands now, any felony, such as shoplifting, can put a three-striker away for life. Prop. 66 appeared to fail Tuesday, with 53.4 percent of the state's voters rejecting it. Hundreds of thousands of special ballots have yet to be counted throughout the state, but proponents and opponents said Wednesday they considered the measure dead. [more]