THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU IGNORE THE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM
Thank you to
@sjsheriff @PatWithrowSJC for sharing this story. In 2017, Steven Rodriguez ambushed
@StocktonPolice officers during a traffic stop, where a patrol car was struck by gunfire. Thankfully, no officers were killed. He was then convicted in court by a jury of his peers, and sentenced to 20 years in prison for the attempted murder of those officers.
In its infinite wisdom, the California Parole Board released Rodriguez in November 2025, through California’s “compassionate release process.” Just last week, months after being “compassionately released,” he was arrested again by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office on multiple weapons-related charges, including possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a short-barreled rifle, and unlawful possession of ammunition. None of this should surprise anyone, it was all by design.
In 2022, the
@cal_daa (California District Attorneys Association) warned lawmakers exactly what would happen if these release standards were expanded. CDAA specifically opposed AB 960 because it would allow the release of inmates “still capable of committing crimes and hurting Californians,” while also weakening public safety protections. They warned the bill loosened standards so dramatically that offenders who were still physically capable of committing serious crimes could qualify for release.
The experts in the room saw the risks and they were ignored. Now the public, and law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day, are dealing with the consequences. This is what happens when ideology outweighs public safety.