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NOVJL does not stand in opposition to needed sentencing relief for offenders who are over-sentenced. Horowitz continued, "We should be aware that in a few cases, there are basically nice kids who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  However, they are usually charged with lesser crimes, plead to something reasonable, cooperate with police and often have the support of the victim's family in receiving lesser sentences.  If there are a few isolated instances where the sentence is wrongly applied, we should acknowledge that some remedy should be provided. There is always clemency and other legal means to change the sentences. But no rational person would want 100 psychopaths released as part of that process. SB 399 is completely unnecessary, would torture victims' families for the length of their lives, and endangers California's public safety and finances."

Up to now, a well-funded propaganda campaign on behalf of the juvenile killers and violent teens has dominated media coverage of the issue of juvenile life without parole prison sentences. Victims' families have been concerned with the one-sided and often inaccurate portrayal of these killers and crimes, and have organized to make sure the facts of the cases are reported.  The bill has also been determined to be one that will be very costly to California taxpayers.

For detailed information on our stories and position, see our website at www.jlwopvictims.org or contact NOVJL President Daniel Horowitz . Daniel Horowitz, NOVJL's President, is a nationally renowned defense attorney who is a frequent guest analyst on national news media, including CNN, MSNBC, Fox and other stations.His wife was murdered by a "juvenile lifer" in California. The Heritage Foundation at www.heritage.org has also published an important report on the issue of JLWOP sentencing, Adult Time for Adult Crime, and its author Charles "Cully" Stimson, a Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation is also available to the media to share his extensive legal expertise. NOVJL Past President Maggie Elvey's husband Ross was murdered by two "juvenile lifers" in California