OPEN LETTER TO GOV: Possible New California Attorney General Rep. Schiff Not Favored by ReImagine Justice California Coalition

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

By Alexander Ramirez

STATE CAPITOL – ReImagine Justice California Coalition, an activist group in Southern California, has sent an open letter to California Governor Newsom in light of his recent consideration of U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff to replace the currently outgoing California Attorney General.

The ReImagine Justice California Coalition has expressed its concerns about Schiff being appointed as the new AG because Schiff, charged the coalition, has perpetuated the current system of incarceration that has affected the minority and dark skinned communities greatly.

CoCo draws on Schiff’s previous time as a member of the California legislature as examples of this perpetuation.

“In his single term of four years, Adam Schiff made increased incarceration and punishment for poor parents the focus of his legislative agenda. He was not merely a ‘yes’ vote on bad legislation; he was the author of so many bills that were aimed directly at poor people, Black people, and people of color,” the group said in its letter.

The letter would continue with a long list of 26 bullet points to illustrate the “destructive” legislation that CoCo claims Schiff—a former federal prosecutor—had taken during his state lawmaker stint.

Among those bullet points was legislation involving the creation of the Department of Juvenile Justice, expanding the five-year sentence gap for non-violent offenses, and the creation of juvenile boot camps, which all directly target people of color and minority communities, said CoCo.

Schiff is being targeted by CoCo because he appears to be gaining traction to win the appointment by Newsom.

“We need an Attorney General who will hold police officers and police departments accountable, not one who has spent his legislative career serving their interests. We are still dealing with the legacy of Adam Schiff in California. We urge you in the strongest possible terms not to appoint Adam Schiff to be California’s next Attorney General,” state the CoCo letter to the governor.

Instead of Schiff, CoCo said it would rather have an Attorney General with an ear to the ground in respect to policing and the racial divisions that are present in California. Namely, the impact that they have been having on communities.

CoCo said that if Governor Newsom does not agree to follow suit with the suggestions imposed in the open letter, the future support and trust of the ReImagine Justice California Coalition may be at stake.

***Editor’s note: the article incorrectly listed the coalition as Community Coalition, that was in error.  The group’s name is ReImagine Justice California Coalition – Community Coalition was not a signer of the letter, the Vanguard apologizes for the error.

Alexander Ramirez is a third-year Political Science major at the University of California, Davis. He hopes to hone his writing skills in preparation for the inevitable time of graduation.


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About The Author

The Vanguard Court Watch operates in Yolo, Sacramento and Sacramento Counties with a mission to monitor and report on court cases. Anyone interested in interning at the Courthouse or volunteering to monitor cases should contact the Vanguard at info(at)davisvanguard(dot)org - please email info(at)davisvanguard(dot)org if you find inaccuracies in this report.

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6 Comments

  1. Keith Olsen

    Seriously, Adam Schiff is being considered for CA Attorney General.  The same Adam Schiff that lied over Russian collusion and the first impeachment?  Our whole system is rapidly going down the Schiff hole.

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