25-04-2025
Kern County ranks 1st in California for Prop 36 case filings, voter support: report
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A new report found Kern County ranked first in the state for the rate of cases filed under Proposition 36 as well as voter approval of the new law, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
According to the report, Kern County prosecutors file 24 cases per 100,000 residents, making Kern the county with the highest rate of felony filings using Proposition 36. The county with the next highest rate is Orange County with 18 cases filed per 100,000 residents.
Sixty-eight percent of the felony cases filed under Proposition 36 in Kern County were for drug-related offenses, the report said.
Kern County also had the highest percentage of voter support for the new law at 77%.
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The report says voter approval of Proposition 36 within each county doesn't necessarily correlate with the number of case filings. For instance, Fresno had the third highest share of voter approval for Proposition 36 at 75%, but only files about two cases per 100,000 residents.
Kern County was highest both in the percentage of voter support and filing rate, according to the data.
According to a survey by California's Judicial Council of the courts conducted in the second half of February and covering most counties, prosecutors have filed about 1,500 theft and 1,900 drug cases, the report said.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said in a press release the District Attorney's office was able to prosecute repeat offenders more effectively due to Proposition 36.
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'We were out there speaking with residents one-on-one, and their message was clear: they want their communities back,' Zimmer said. 'We will not let them down. This study reflects the results of our collective effort and the community's trust in our office.'
Proposition 36, also known as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, is a state law that went into effect in December.
The law aims to increase penalties for certain crimes by reclassifying them as a felony rather than a misdemeanor. It also added fentanyl to the list of controlled substances that would warrant stricter punishments.
Under Proposition 36, California residents can be charged with a felony if they have two or more prior convictions related to retail theft or drug possession.
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