Prop 57 Allowed Sacramento Mass Shooter To Walk Free


A suspect in the recent Sacramento mass shooting served less than half his previous prison sentence due to California’s Proposition 57.

Smiley Allen Martin, 27, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession of a machine gun and a firearm by a prohibited person. He was one of the 12 people wounded during Sunday’s shooting and has a violent criminal record that dates back to 2013.

In 2018, Martin hit his girlfriend “repeatedly with a closed fist,” dragged her from her home by her hair, and whipped her with a belt, however under California law, this was deemed a “nonviolent offense.” Martin received a 10-year prison sentence for the crime, but he was released in February 2022 under the guidelines of Proposition 57.

California voters passed Prop 57 in 2016 which increased parole and good behavior opportunities for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes and allowed judges, instead of prosecutors, to decide whether to try certain juveniles as adults in court.

Democratic Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg expressed his concern about Martin’s record.

“If people have a history of committing violent acts, and they have not shown a propensity or willingness to change, I don’t think they should be out on the streets,” he said.

Prop 57 credits incorporate good behavior, though corrections officials refused to release Martin’s punitive report, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Previous Chinese Government Warns Residents Against Stepping Out Of Line
Next Washington Woman Arrested For Stealing Fetal Remains