• Court Orders Attorney General to Reveal Date Parole Decision was Sent to Governor

Monthly Archives: November 2021

Court Orders Attorney General to Reveal Date Parole Decision was Sent to Governor

Thursday, November 18th, 2021

Nov 18 – California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal today ordered the state’s Attorney General to reveal the date when Leslie Van Houten’s 2020 parole grant was sent to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Van Houten was recommended for parole on July 23, 2020. The Board of Parole Hearings normally has 120 days to review parole decisions, but due to COVID-19 protocols, the review period was shortened to 90 days. After the BPH review, the decision is sent to the governor who has an additional 30 days to weigh in before the grant is finalized.

Newsom reversed the grant on November 27th, seven days after the cut off.

Van Houten’s attorneys have been trying to pinpoint who was late, BPH or Governor Newsom. The Attorney General has refused to confirm the actual date the grant was sent to Newsom, arguing Van Houten isn’t entitled post-conviction discovery. Superior Court Judge Roanld Coen, sided with the Attorney General, denying Van Houten’s motion back in August.

Additionally, the Court of Appeal has ordered the Attorney General answer whether a failure to act within the 30 day period is a jurisdictional bar to the Governor’s power to review the decision.

Van Houten Granted Parole for the Fifth Time

Tuesday, November 9th, 2021

Nov. 9 – Leslie Van Houten was found suitable for parole at a hearing held today by the California Board of Parole Hearings. This was Van Houten’s fifth consecutive parole suitability recommendation.

Today’s decision will undergo a review by the Board of Parole Hearings. Then it will be reviewed by Governor Gavin Newsom, who will either confirm, reverse, modify or take no action on the grant. The decision will be finalized no later than April 8, 2022.

Van Houten is also waiting on a ruling from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s reversal of her 2020 parole recommendation. Van Houten’s attorneys are arguing that Newsom’s reversal came too late. Van Houten was recommended for parole on July 23, 2020. The cut off date for Newsom to reverse the grant was November 20, 2020. However, Newsom didn’t reverse the grant until November 27th. California law allows the governor to review and weigh in on parole grants. However, the governor is not required to review grants for them to take effect, leaving the door open for Van Houten to walk because Newsom acted too late.