Supreme Court of California

A Governor's decision finding a prisoner unsuitable for parole is subject to limited review to determine whether the decision is supported by "some evidence", and the governor's decision finding petitioner unsuitable for parole is so supported. Evidence does not show that the Governor follows a policy of denying parole to all prisoners convicted of murder.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/16/2002
• Published 12/16/2002

Judges

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Rowan K. Klein, Los Angeles;  Prison Law Office, Donald Specter, San Quentin, Zachary Katznelson;  Munger, Tolles & Olson, Alan V. Friedman and Mark H. Epstein, Los Angeles, for Petitioner Robert Rosenkrantz., Picone & DeFilippis and Steve M. DeFilippis as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioner Robert Rosenkrantz.,  James F. Sweeney, Sacramento, for California Catholic Conference as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioner Robert Rosenkrantz., American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, Mark D. Rosenbaum, Los Angeles;  American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, Alan L. Schlosser;  Latham & Watkins, Peter A. Wald, San Francisco, Stephan E. Klein and Kyra G. Busby for Judge James Albracht, Allen Breed, Raymond Procunier, the California Council of Churches, the Order of the Society of Jesus, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet-the Los Angeles Province Leadership and Justice Office, the Board of Rabbis of Northern California, the Directors of the Office of Detention Ministry of the Twelve Dioceses of the State of California, the Advisory Board of the Office of Detention Ministry, the Catholic Chaplains from the Los Angeles Archdiocese Serving the State and Local Prisoners and the California Coalition for Battered Women in Prison as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioner Robert Rosenkrantz., Robert S. Gerstein;  Bien & Summers and Elliot L. Bien, Novato, for California Academy of Appellate Lawyers as Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Paul D. Gifford, Assistant Attorney General, Susan Duncan Lee and Robert D. Wilson, Deputy Attorneys General, for Respondent the People., Jones & Mayer, Martin J. Mayer, Long Beach, and Michael R. Capizzi, Santa Ana, for California State Sheriff's Association, California Police Chief's Association and California Peace Officer's Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Respondent the People., Steve Cooley, District Attorney (Los Angeles), George M. Palmer, Head Deputy District Attorney, and Brentford J. Ferreira, Deputy District Attorney for California District Attorneys Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Respondent the People., Daniel V. Felizzatto for Crime Victims United of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Respondent the People.