Smittcamp wrongly uses Selma police officer’s death to make political points | Opinion

For the second time this week, a San Joaquin Valley law officer decided to go political in response to a tragic shooting incident.

This time, it was Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, who blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators for failing to back laws to keep dangerous felons in jail, rather than allow them early releases from custody.

Days earlier, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the suspects wanted in the Goshen massacre, in which six family members were shot dead, should face the death penalty. Boudreaux said Newsom should support such a penalty because one of the victims was a 10-month-old baby.

In both cases, Smittcamp and Boudreaux raced ahead of events to make political points.

Smittcamp was reacting to the shooting Tuesday of Selma police officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. as he responded to a resident’s call for help on Pine Street. Arrested for the alleged murder was Nathaniel Dixon, 23, a convicted felon. Dixon allegedly gunned down Carrasco as he drove up.

It marked the first time a Selma officer had been killed in the line of duty. Carrasco was from Reedley, the son of farm workers and a father-to-be, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

Smittcamp quickly issued a news release that indicated Dixon had been given a five-year, four-months prison sentence after being convicted for gun and drug charges. But because of time credits he earned while waiting for trial, Dixon ended up only serving five months of his sentence.

That seems outrageous on its face. But it is not the whole story. Dixon was actually jailed for more than 500 days while his case worked its way through the court system. So while he did not serve out five years behind bars, he was jailed longer than five months.

In a news conference Wednesday, Newsom fired back at Smittcamp, saying her office chose not to prosecute Dixon to the fullest extent it could. As a result, he served little time, Newsom said.

“I’m sick and tired of being lectured by her on public safety,” the governor said. “With all due respect to her statement, she should be ashamed of herself.”

The war of words continued into the evening, when Smittcamp fired back in reply: “He is the biggest proponent of the early release of criminals, and enhanced time credits for inmates and regulations allowing additional accelerated time credits to be arbitrarily granted to inmates when they are sentenced to prison. These policies are a constant threat to public safety.”

Why time credits?

Why are time credits used in the first place? During a news conference at the scene of the shooting, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni referred to California Assembly Bill 109. That was legislation passed in 2011 that allowed certain defendants who would have been sentenced to prison to instead serve their time in county jails.

Why did the Legislature pass AB 109 and Gov. Brown sign it into law in 2011? Because the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to reduce its then overcrowded prison system. The court majority, on a 5-4 decision, found that California prisons were inhumanely warehousing inmates.

The situation is similar to what Fresno County Jail itself falls under. A court order requires Zanoni to routinely release inmates charged with low-level offenses due to overcrowded conditions.

Time credits are another way to get inmates some time behind bars, then move them out, under supervision, to avoid overcrowding.

Smittcamp is understandably upset over an officer’s death — the whole community is. But to bash Newsom and Democrats currently in the Legislature — who inherited prison overcrowding and AB 109’s fallout — is disingenuous. To not wait until after the officer’s memorial service is insensitive.

Goshen slayings

Similarly, Boudreaux jumped to a conclusion about punishment for the Goshen killers before they have even been arrested. Seeking the death penalty might fit in the context of the crimes, but to make it an issue before the suspects have even been captured smacks of political posturing.

In the news conference where Boudreaux brought up the death penalty, he took no questions from reporters. Certainly one question would be whether raising the death penalty now is a way to deflect pressure from his department to find the shooters.

Police work is hard. So is prosecuting accused criminals. When a law officer is shot dead while trying to protect the public, it is tragic. But our law enforcement leaders must make their political views known when it is appropriate to do so. That did not happen this week with two elected officials.

This story was originally published February 1, 2023 at 2:37 PM.