By Kevin RectorLos Angeles TimesLOS ANGELES — Neko Wilson wasn't present when Gary and Sandra DeBartolo were brutally killed in their Central Valley home in 2009. For years, the felony murder law was used to lock up entire groups of offenders for the violent acts of one or two among them — often for decades, sometimes for life. That erased an estimated 11,353 years from their combined terms and saved taxpayers between $94 million and $1.2 billion in prison costs. Advocates said they would save on prison costs, reduce the size of the state's prison population and restore fairness to California law. A state analysis found that 250 of the defendants, or 41.5%, were in Los Angeles County.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 05, 2023 22:03 UTC