SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California’s Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over Gov. Jerry Brown’s efforts to put his plan to reduce the state’s prison population before voters in November.
Oral arguments are scheduled for Thursday morning, though the justices will not issue a ruling at the hearing.
At stake are Brown’s amendments to a juvenile justice initiative increasing sentencing credits for adult inmates and allowing earlier parole for non-violent felons.
Brown says the changes are needed to help keep the inmate population below the level required by federal judges.
But a Sacramento County judge said the governor went too far when he amended the juvenile justice initiative, violating a 2014 law that requires that amendments are reasonably related to the original initiative.