California Supreme Court Stalls Prop 66: The California Supreme court has issued a brief, unexplained order staying the implementation of Proposition 66, which was adopted by state voters on November 8. . As reported by the LA Times, Proposition 66 would change how death penalty appeals are handled, appointing more lawyers to take cases, putting the initial habeas corpus review before trial court judges and setting a five-year deadline for appeals to be heard. Generally speaking, it can take more than 5 years just to have an attorney appointed to a capital appeals case, and the exhaustive process of appeals can span more than 25 years. Opponents of the legislation argue that this proposition would limit the ability to make proper appeals while proponents of the legislation have labeled the suit a frivolous stall tactic.

Sac Sheriff Expedites Concealed Carry Permits: Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, has recently issued a statement regarding his intention to institute a new process which will reduce the amount of time and effort that is required for a citizen to attain a concealed carry permit.  Phillip Reese and Nashelly Chavez at the Sacramento Bee report that Sheriff Jones ran his campaign on the promise that he would make it easier for citizens to attain concealed carry permits, a promise which he has kept. The current number of citizens in Sacramento County with a concealed carry permit is about 8000, up from 350 in 2010. With Jones's proposed changes, we are sure to see the number of armed citizens in Sacramento County rise in the coming years.