Prop 47 May Jeopardize California Drug Courts: California drug courts may soon become a thing of the past due to the recent adoption 47, which transformed numerous felonies, including drug possession and gun theft, into misdemeanors.  Marisa Gerber of the Los Angeles Times reports that drug courts provide judges with a cheaper and more effective alternative to sending addicts to prison, however, what holds drug court participants accountable is the fact that they will face a felony sentence if they drop out of the program.  With that threat gone due to Prop 47, experts believe addicts have no incentive to participate in rehab. 

Murderer Mistakenly Released: A California man who murdered his wife before killing himself Sunday afternoon had been mistakenly released from jail by a substitute judge.  Tim Daly of News 10 reports that 46-year-old Roberto Ceja-Martinez was arrested in late November for being a felon in possession of a firearm, marijuana cultivation, and violating a restraining order. He was in county jail for a week before a retired and substitute judge released him on his own recognizance.  Police say that Ceja-Martinez beat his wife to death Sunday morning before setting her body on fire.

Family of Executed Ohio Murderer Sues: The family of executed murderer Dennis McGuire has filed a lawsuit against a former expert witness on lethal injection claiming that he should have known McGuire would suffer during the execution.  The Associated Press reports that in addition to suing Dr. Mark Dershwitz, the family has also filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for distributing the drugs, claiming that they should have known the drugs would cause unnecessary and extreme pain if used during an execution.  McGuire was executed in January 2014 for the 1989 rape and murder of a pregnant Ohio woman.