Shane Taylor is the type of guy who shouldn't be in jail, according to those who want to revise the state's "three strikes" sentencing law.
His first two strikes were burglaries where the only thing reported stolen was a checkbook, according to court filings. One check had been forged. His third strike came nearly eight years later, when police found 0.14 grams of methamphetamine in his wallet. The judge had the discretion to sentence Taylor to a lesser stint but chose to categorize Taylor as a third-striker, which mandates a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
If Proposition 36 passes, Taylor and about 2,700 other inmates could seek resentencing, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Additionally, most two-strike criminals would no longer face the life sentence when subsequently convicted of nonviolent, non-serious offenses like simple drug possession. Murderers, rapist, child molesters and some others with extremely serious first or second strikes would still face life sentences regardless of the nature of their third felony.
Guest Alert: Co-Author of Prop 36 Joins BC at 12:20 Friday
