Outrage at Kamala Harris as pedophile who brutally raped and murdered eight-year-old neighbor is set to go free thanks to woke California juvenile justice law VP authored
A violent pedophile who brutally raped and murdered his eight-year-old neighbor could be released from jail this fall due to a 2016 justice reform authored by Kamala Harris during her tenure as California’s Attorney General.
Adrian Jerry ‘AJ’ Gonzalez, 24, was just 15 when he lured Madyson Middleton into his mother’s apartment with promises of ice cream before strangling, stabbing and raping her.
The brutal killer then wrapped her body in plastic bags and threw it in a dumpster outside the Santa Cruz apartment complex where they both lived.
Now, Gonzalez is set for release when he turns 25 – a rule that applies to all offenders convicted in juvenile court in California.
The killer has benefited from California’s 2016 Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act, also known as Proposition 57, which changed the rules on juvenile offenders and meant those who committed crimes before they turned 17 can only be moved to an adult court following a full hearing.
Criminals convicted in juvenile court are automatically eligible for parole when they turn 25 – meaning Gonzalez will have served just three years if he is released in stark contrast to the two life terms he would have faced in adult court.
Prop 57 also legislated for the release of ‘non-violent offenders’ before they have finished serving their full term – which has already led to criminals who went on to kill being busted out of jail.
The loose wording saw Harris criticized during her successful 2016 Senate run, with her opponent then-Rep. Loretta Sanchez pointing out that the now Vice-President’s definition of ‘non-violent’ crimes included the rape of an unconscious person and human trafficking.
In a statement released at the time, the Democrat said: ‘The ballot title and summary, written by Attorney General Kamala Harris, calls serious violent crimes 'non-violent,' including crimes such as rape by intoxication of an unconscious person, human trafficking involving a sex act with minors.
‘Proposition 57 is the misleading and dangerous ballot initiative that would allow serious, violent criminals out on early release without completing their sentences.’
In Gonzalez’s case, the problem was compounded by a 2019 California Senate Bill called SB 1391 that extended Prop 57 and ruled that no-one who committed their crime under the age of 16 can be tried in adult court.
That meant Gonzalez’s 2021 trial had to be held in juvenile court even though he was 21 by then – and that he could only be sentenced to a maximum of three years.
The twisted killer is currently in the middle of a new hearing that will determine whether he is mentally fit to be released when he turns 25 in October.
Even if Judge Denine Guy decides Gonzalez is not yet ready for release, under Prop 57, he has an unlimited number of attempts at parole which means he could make another bid for freedom in two years.
Harris, who was careful not to state explicitly that she supported the legislation she wrote, has nonetheless long supported releasing underage criminals.
In June 2016, while the campaign for Prop 57 was in full swing, Harris released a mailshot entitled ‘Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Supports Legislation to End Juvenile Confinement.’
In the press release, she described measures to release juvenile criminals as ‘common sense’ and ‘smart on crime’.
She continued: ‘I am proud to support common-sense, ‘smart on crime’ legislation that helps those currently and formerly incarcerated overcome obstacles to get their lives back on track, and meet their full potential.’
She went on to trumpet other child-focused bills she supported, with the mailshot concluding: ‘Attorney General Harris has a longstanding commitment to protecting and supporting children, holding accountable those who exploit or harm children, and pursuing innovative legal and policy solutions to combat crime by investing in children from a young age.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13688413/outrage-kamala-harris-california-law-adrian-jerry-gonzalez-madyson-middleton.html