YOLO COUNTY — Finish-of-life mercy for a twice-convicted youngster molester serving greater than 100 years to life in jail just isn’t one thing that Yolo County’s District Legal professional Jeff Reisig helps, he advised CBS Sacramento.
“No person desires him dwelling of their neighborhood. That is the underside line,” Reisig mentioned.
On Thursday, Kevin Ellis, 67, was granted compassionate release by a decide in Yolo County Superior Court docket resulting from his terminal medical prognosis, regardless of objections from his victims and the district lawyer’s workplace.
State legislation mandates that Ellis be launched from jail inside 48 hours of the listening to. He’ll now be free to dwell the remainder of his life underneath supervised launch and underneath the situation of registering as a intercourse offender.
“It is tremendous hypocritical to name it a compassionate launch and ignore the trauma that the victims are struggling because of this course of,” Reisig mentioned.
Yolo County District Legal professional’s Workplace
Ellis was convicted first in 1995 for molesting two youngsters and once more in 2013 for molesting two youngsters once more. He has additionally didn’t register as a intercourse offender previously.
“Clearly, we do not suppose that is applicable for a four-time youngster molester to be launched again into the group having served solely a fraction of his 100-year sentence. We do not care what the circumstances are,” Reisig mentioned.
Beneath state legislation, compassionate launch from jail should first be really useful by the California Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to a decide within the county of the crime’s origin, permitting the case to bypass California Board of Parole hearings that usually take for much longer to navigate and embrace a sequence of hearings.
Offenders eligible for compassionate launch are recognized with a terminal sickness, have lower than a yr to dwell, are deemed by CDCR to not be a risk to society given their medical situation and have an recognized place to dwell upon launch.
“He ought to die in jail and that is what we argued to the decide. There isn’t any profit to the group. It definitely places individuals in danger and there’s no assure how lengthy he’s going to dwell out in the neighborhood,” Reisig mentioned.
Ellis, who’s wheelchair-bound, was recognized with terminal most cancers and fewer than six months to dwell, in keeping with the CDCR medical report supporting his launch from jail.
Reisig doesn’t agree with the belief that Ellis poses no danger to the Yolo County group upon launch there.
“You had 4 youngsters who had been molested and victimized. They do not get a second probability like he’s getting now,” Reisig mentioned.
“Is there something you are able to do at this level to struggle it?” I requested Reisig.
“No, and that is what is irritating,” Reisig answered.
Beneath a special course of, when a state-designated “sexually violent predator” is launched from jail after serving their time, the California Division of State Hospitals alongside different companies determines publicly the place an SVP might be launched, with group enter via hearings on the matter.
Many neighbors, native sheriffs and district attorneys have protested SVP releases to sure areas in these hearings efficiently. For instance, within the case of SVP William Stephenson, the state has tried to launch him to a number of completely different counties and even may release him as a transient contemplating no appropriate housing could possibly be secured.
The distinction, Reisig agreed, is that all through the SVP launch course of, the group is concerned and has an opportunity to voice their concern. Within the compassionate launch course of, the CDCR and the parole board deal with the offender’s placement with no public enter.
Reisig argued that California state legislation needs to be modified in order that youngster molesters, rapists and different violent offenders don’t qualify for compassionate launch underneath any circumstance.
“This entire course of is embedded in state legislation. That may be modified by lawmakers in Sacramento. That’s the place individuals have to direct their ire,” Reisig mentioned. “It needs to be fastened. It is a whole travesty that every one these youngsters which were molested by this man now should get up every single day understanding he’s again on the streets. As a result of he deserves mercy? It is insane.”
CBS Sacramento requested the CDCR precisely the place and when Ellis might be launched again into Yolo County — and for particulars on the situations of his supervised launch. We didn’t obtain a response by deadline Monday however will replace this story with any new info.
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