Latest news with #ThienHo
CBS News
27-06-2025
- CBS News
Man who admitted to killing Sacramento police officer in 2019 receives death penalty sentence
Adel Ramos was given a death penalty sentence for the killing of Sacramento police officer Tara O'Sullivan in June 2019, the Sacramento County District Attorney said on Friday. O'Sullivan, 26, died when she was shot while on a domestic disturbance call after being on the job for six months. Ramos, who had a history with law enforcement, was arrested after an hours-long standoff and later admitted to killing O'Sullivan. His case was delayed several times, including when he apparently injured himself in his jail cell. But in late March, a jury returned a death penalty verdict against Ramos. "Today's death penalty sentence delivers a measure of justice for the brutal and calculated murder of Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan, who gave her life in service to her community," Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho said in a statement. California Gov. Gavin Newsom halted executions in the state in 2019 and announced plans to close the state's death row at San Quentin prison.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sacramento considers banning overnight sleeping near City Hall, regionalizing homeless approach
A former Sacramento city councilmember turned state senator is pushing for a regional approach to address the homeless crisis. This comes as city leaders are looking to ban overnight camping in front of City Hall. As she introduced Senate Bill 802, Senator Angelique Ashby was joined by people from across the political sphere, including several Sacramento city councilmembers, District Attorney Thien Ho and former mayor Darrell Steinberg. Ashby's idea is to combine the minds and money of local governments within Sacramento to provide shelter and care for people living on the streets. By working together, she said they will have about $417.2 million to work with. "If we do not work together, if we continue to be in silos, if we fear collaboration, we will not garner success. I am convinced of this," she said. "At the local level, I do not begrudge any of my colleagues this feeling that it is hard to let go of something you want to control." A representative from Sacramento County was not present at the presentation, but a county spokesperson gave CBS13 this statement: "Senator Ashby's SB 802 calls for major restructuring and was introduced less than 24 hours ago; therefore, County officials have not had adequate time to analyze a bill of this magnitude. The County values partnerships, collaboration, and shared responsibility as evidenced by our success serving the unhoused in our region. The Board of Supervisors is set to consider plans on a shared governance structure that best serves the region in August and allows for robust community input." This collaboration idea comes as Sacramento city leaders look to ban lying or sitting on the ground around City Hall between 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. "There shouldn't be any reason for me not to be inside, but I like being outside during the summertime," said Deborah Dickson, who is homeless. Dickson told CBS13 that she has been sleeping out in front of City Hall pretty much every night for the past five years, since the pandemic. "This has become a permanent solution for a lot of folks," said Councilmember Phil Pluckenbaum, who represents the downtown area where City Hall is. Pluckenbaum is concerned about the safety of city staff and the community when leaving late-night council meetings. "This is not just about sweeping people from site to site," he said. "This is about providing opportunities for folks so they can come off the street permanently." The city started allowing overnight sleeping in front of City Hall back in 2019 under Steinberg, but the current mayor, Kevin McCarty, said it costs the city around $353,000 per year in cleanup – money he thinks could be used for resources. "It's difficult emotionally to deal with the reality that we don't have enough places for people to go, but we keep telling people where they can't go," said Sacramento City Councilmember for District 5 Caity Maple. Maple said they would need to do outreach first and make sure there is enough shelter space. "I think it probably should have been done a long time ago," said Hugo Cervantes, the owner of Cilantro's Mexican Restaurant on J Street. Some business owners support this ban, but also wonder where the homeless will move instead. "It has gotten way more dangerous for me, my staff and even for my customers," Cervantes said. Dickson does not see the ban as a bad thing and thinks it may be the motivation she needs to get off the streets. "I will get into shelter," she said. "It's the next step to having your own place." The Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness is calling this an "anti-homeless" policy. It said in a statement: "It's clear that Mayor McCarty is working towards no safe or legal place for our unhoused community to rest at night in the city of Sacramento. These anti rest, anti-homeless policies contribute to the 20–30-year gap in life expectancy compared to housed peers. This criminalization and stigmatization by leaders also leads to social isolation, fear, and even vigilante violence against our unhoused community as we recently saw here in Sac. When we need real solutions more than ever, our leaders first substantiative action on homelessness, will be to further cruel status quo criminalization through this expansion of its sit/lie policy at City Hall. It is clear there is no safe alternative, and folks will spread throughout the downtown core instead." Overnight camping is already banned outside state, federal and other city buildings, so this would align city hall with that. City council plans to discuss this possible ban at a future meeting.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sacramento County supervisors agree to reverse budget cuts to district attorney's office
Sacramento County DA says budget cuts to department would mean no misdemeanor prosecutions Sacramento County DA says budget cuts to department would mean no misdemeanor prosecutions Sacramento County DA says budget cuts to department would mean no misdemeanor prosecutions SACRAMENTO – The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors agreed Wednesday night to restore proposed budget cuts to the district attorney's office. The move comes after District Attorney Thien Ho testified inside the chambers that the cuts would lead him to halt prosecutions of all misdemeanor cases. He turned the board chambers into more of a courtroom, arguing his case against cuts. "The word 'recommendation' means that I approve of it, that I consent to it, and I'm going to say right now I've never consented, approved, or recommended any of these cuts," Ho said. "If we cut by $1.7 million, I won't have the vacancies to fill the misdemeanor cases." Ho said his department was already working with limited resources. "Because we are hanging together by duct tape and superglue," Ho said. Ho made the case that cuts of $1.7 million would force him to cut seven attorney positions from his staff. Low-level crimes like vandalism and burglary would be left with no staffing to prosecute. "I can't cut enough photocopies to meet $1.7 million," Ho said. The packed chambers watched as Ho made the case that these recommendations were not his, but forced on him by the board. A point that Supervisor Phil Serna refuted, leading to an exchange between the two inside the chamber. "This recommendation of the cuts is coming from the CO's office and I've also been very clear about what that would be reflected in," Ho said. "I disagree wholeheartedly," Serna said. "He doesn't have the authority to make the recommendations. He just doesn't. It's not a fact, so we can agree to disagree, but it's not a fact." "Well, we'll disagree, respectfully, mister chair," Ho said.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California lawmaker won't face charges after no evidence found to support DUI
The Brief The Sacramento County DA's Office said they found no evidence of Sen. Sabrina Cervantes being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. She was involved in a car crash earlier this month and cited for impaired driving. Officials say toxicology results were negative for alcohol or drugs. A California lawmaker who was cited by police on suspicion of driving under the influence did not have drugs or alcohol in her system, the Sacramento district attorney said Friday. What we know State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes will not face any charges after she was cited by Sacramento police earlier this month for impaired driving. She was involved in a car crash and was taken by a private party to a hospital for minor injuries where officers observed "objective signs of intoxication," a police spokesperson said previously. The lawmaker also declined to perform sobriety tests, police said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE:California state senator from Riverside cited for DUI near State Capitol "The toxicology results were negative for any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs." District Attorney Thien Ho's office said in a statement. "We have reviewed all the submitted evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and laboratory results. Based on our ethical duty and the burden of proof in a criminal trial, the Sacramento County DA's Office declines to file any charges in this case." What they're saying Cervantes denied any wrongdoing and released lab results from the hospital showing she did not have alcohol or drugs in her system. Her office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A Sacramento police spokesperson said officers follow "established protocols" when issuing the citation and deferred questions about the district attorney's decision to the district attorney's office. Cervantes, a Democrat, was elected to the state Senate last year to represent part of the Inland Empire in southern California after years serving in the Assembly. She previously chaired the Latino Legislative Caucus. Dig deeper The citation follows other incidents in recent years in which lawmakers in California have been suspected of driving drunk by local authorities. U.S. Rep. Dave Min, who was a state senator at the time, and then-Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo were arrested in separate incidents in 2023 for driving under the influence. Both apologized after their arrests. The Source Information for this story came from District Attorney Thien Ho's office and the Associated Press.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California Lawmakers, Community Leaders and Law Enforcement Reflect on 100 Days of Prop 36
( — State and local elected officials, law enforcement and community leaders came together to celebrate the first 100 days of Prop 36 and discuss their continued efforts to bring the Golden State back into a golden era with fewer crimes and better drug addiction treatment. The proposition, which was overwhelmingly approved by California voters, allows for felony charges and increased sentences for possessing certain drugs and theft under $950, if the defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions. '[It's been] 100 days since the people gave us more tools to combat retail effect and 100 days to help us bring mass treatment instead of mass incarceration to those that are suffering in the throes of addiction,' Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho said. The Sacramento County DA said they're prosecuting 12 people who knowingly sold fentanyl on murder charges. But their quest for better public safety is far from over. Those who spoke said several other important variables are still needed to carry out the law in the way it was intended, and they believe those missing elements can be addressed in two new pieces of legislation. 'One piece of legislation considering Prop 36 is in connection with the drug court-drug treatment aspect, and what it says is, look at every drug treatment court in California needs to employ best practices,' California State Senator Tom Umberg (D)- Santa Ana, tells Fox40. 'We want to do the best and most effective job we can.' The second bill would provide additional funding to sustain successful treatment programs. Without it, they said, people will continue to die. 'We're championing a budget request for $250 million as an investment because, in terms of long-term public safety, there is probably nothing more important, nothing more effective than drug treatment,' Sen. Umberg (D)-Santa Ana, continues. Fox40 asked the Sacramento County District Attorney if he believes putting $250 million towards this effort was the best use of funds rather than using that funding to stop the ultimate issue of drugs continuing to enter our communities in the first place. 'We have educational programs that we're getting to use on the prevention and intervention side, but we also need accountability to go after the peddlers of death, the peddlers of poison, and hold them accountable,' DA Ho told Fox40. 'But then we need treatment to get people off the drugs and off the streets, it's really a multi-front attack when it comes to public safety.' No one knows this issue better than Tom Wolf, Director of West Coast Initiatives at the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions. Wolf was formerly homeless and in recovery from heroin and fentanyl addiction. He now supports prop 36. 'It's more cruel to leave someone on the street alone with their fentanyl or meth addiction than to hold them accountable and give them a pathway to turn their lives around,' Wolf said. Those who spoke concluded that our elected officials owe it to all Californians to pass these next two pieces of legislation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
