Crime Victims United

This week, the California Board of Parole Hearings declined to uphold a prior parole grant for convicted murderer, ra**st, and torturer James Dennis Lynch and instead ordered a rescission hearing, where additional concerns raised by the victim's family and prosecutors will be examined before any release can occur.

For Crime Victims United, the outcome is also a powerful reminder of what can happen when victims, survivors, advocates, prosecutors, and community members come together.

Over the past several weeks, people from across California learned about this case, shared information, submitted comments, attended the hearing, and made their voices heard. We were told this case generated the most public feedback of any item on the Board's agenda.

This effort reached far beyond a single county. Victims' families, community members, prosecutors, and advocates from San Joaquin, Sacramento, Placer, and throughout California united around a common belief: victims deserve a voice, and public safety matters.

There is still much work to be done to improve California's parole process, but this outcome showed that when communities engage, organize, and speak up, powerful things can happen.

Thank you to everyone who stood with victims and survivors and made their voice heard.

Parole Board Orders Rescission Hearing for Convicted Murderer James Dennis Lynch

The California Board of Parole Hearings has ordered a rescission hearing for James Dennis Lynch, the convicted murderer, ra**st, and torturer responsible for the 1996 killing of 75-year-old Stockton resident Hilda Armanino Boggiano.

Lynch was convicted in connection with the brutal attack that shocked the Stockton community and has remained incarcerated for nearly three decades. Earlier this year, a parole panel voted to grant Lynch parole. In response, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas submitted a formal objection to Governor Gavin Newsom, urging intervention based on the nature of the crime and ongoing public safety concerns.

Governor Newsom subsequently referred the matter back to the Board of Parole Hearings for an en banc review, requiring the full Board to reconsider the parole grant before a final decision could be made.

At yesterday’s en banc hearing, the Board could have upheld the original decision granting parole. Instead, the Board directed that Lynch receive a rescission hearing, where concerns raised by the victim’s family and District Attorney Freitas will be further examined. During that hearing, the Board will determine whether there is good cause to postpone or cancel Lynch’s parole date.

According to prior parole hearing records, Lynch has indicated plans to relocate to the Sacramento region if released.

“The brutal depravity of James Dennis Lynch’s crimes can never be undone, and his release would pose an immediate, unacceptable and very dangerous threat to every neighborhood in California. I’m proud that my regional partners are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my office, alongside the victim’s family, to demand that the Parole Board keep this dangerous offender behind bars. The safety of our communities must outweigh any argument for release.”

District Attorney Freitas and his office remain committed to advocating for the rights of crime victims and ensuring that public safety remains the paramount consideration in parole decisions involving violent offenders.

Additional information regarding the date and time of the rescission hearing will be shared as it becomes available.

Lynch remains in custody.

Placer County District Attorney's Office Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Crime Victims United-CA

This is wonderful news. It is also so powerful to see angel parents from every walk of life support each other in and out of the courtroom.

The courtroom at sentencing was full of supporters of Stephan Windham and his family.

‼️IMPORTANT PAROLE ALERT‼️

Tomorrow, the California Board of Parole Hearings will conduct an en banc review hearing involving a convicted murderer and ra**st who is seeking release into the Sacramento region.

This case raises serious questions about California's parole process.

‼️Why was parole originally granted despite concerns that were raised regarding the individual's conduct while incarcerated?

‼️Why do we continue to see decisions that leave victims, survivors, and community members questioning whether public safety is truly being prioritized?

Just weeks ago, the California Legislature reconfirmed all Commissioners of the Board of Parole. Yet families across our state continue to ask whether meaningful accountability and transparency exist within the parole process.

Crime Victims United believes there is significant work left to do to ensure victims' voices are heard and public safety remains at the forefront of parole decisions.

Tomorrow's hearing is not a routine proceeding. It is an en banc review, meaning the full Board of Parole Hearings will reconsider this case after Governor Gavin Newsom returned a previous parole grant for further review.

Today, we are asking concerned Californians to make their voices heard.

Attend the hearing. Call in. Submit written comments.

Learn more about the case and how to participate below!!!

[𝙍𝙀𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙊𝙇𝙀 𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝙏] 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙖 𝘿𝘼’𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚 17 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙩
𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸; 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is conducting the primary opposition at tomorrow's hearing and is being joined by the Sacramento and Placer County District Attorney Offices in a regional alert calling on residents to participate in the California Board of Parole Hearings en banc review involving convicted murderer and ra**st James Dennis Lynch. As the agency that originally prosecuted the case, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is handling the presentation and leading the formal effort to stop Lynch's release.

The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Sacramento at 9:00 a.m. before the full California Board of Parole Hearings.

Lynch was convicted in connection with the violent 1996 murder, r**e, and torture of 75-year-old Stockton resident Hilda Armanino Boggiano. Earlier this year, the Board voted to grant parole. However, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas personally sent a formal letter of objection to the Governor. Following this, Governor Gavin Newsom subsequently referred the matter back to the Board for an en banc review, requiring the full Board to reconsider the case before a final decision is made.

According to prior parole hearing records, Lynch has indicated plans to relocate to the Sacramento region if released.

“The brutal depravity of James Dennis Lynch’s crimes can never be undone, and his release would pose an immediate, unacceptable threat to every neighborhood in Northern California. I’m proud that my regional partners are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my office, alongside the victim’s family, to demand that the Parole Board keep this dangerous offender behind bars. This en banc review is the community’s final line of defense, and I urge every concerned resident to call in, speak out, and make it clear that public safety must come first.”


HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Community feedback is critical to ensuring the board understands the impact of its decisions. Residents and media can participate through the following channels:
➡️Tune in by telephone: Call (916) 701-9994 | Conference ID: 627 008 582 #
➡️Participate in person: Attend at the Board of Parole Hearings, 1515 K Street, Suite 550, Sacramento, CA 95814
➡️Request speaking time: Call (916) 267-0857 and leave a message including:
-Your name, pseudonym, or the last four digits of your telephone number
-The last four digits of your phone number if participating by telephone
-The name of the case you wish to comment on (James Dennis Lynch)
-Whether you are speaking in support of or opposition to parole
➡️Submit written comments: Email [email protected] with the Subject Line: Opposition to the Parole of James D. Lynch, CDC # K52257

The parole process provides victims, survivors, family members, public safety advocates, and community residents an opportunity to share their perspectives directly with decision-makers. Resident feedback is critical to this process and ensuring the board understands the impact of the decisions they make every day.

For additional information regarding the Board of Parole Hearings and public participation procedures, visit https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/bph/

Well done El Dorado County and everyone else involved in bringing this predator to justice!!

Convicted El Dorado County child molester captured in Arizona after nearly 10 months on the run Carl Cacconie, convicted of six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child in El Dorado County, has been captured after nearly 10 months on the run, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI Sacramento Field Office.

This week's Sacramento County budget vote should concern every victim, survivor, taxpayer, and resident.

The decision to cut critical community safety funding—placing the District Attorney's misdemeanor unit, Sacramento Probation programs, and the Sheriff's Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Team at risk—while adding millions of dollars to programs that continue to struggle with measurable outcomes should be a wake-up call for all of us.

As survivors and advocates, we know firsthand that this is not a debate about public safety versus social services.

Victims and survivors of:
• Domestic violence
• Child abuse
• Sexual assault
• Human trafficking
• Elder abuse
• And other violent crimes often rely on social services to rebuild their lives. We support those investments and recognize that need.

But we also know that some of the most effective social service delivery in California occurs through multidisciplinary partnerships involving:
• District Attorneys' Offices
• Law enforcement agencies
• Probation departments
• Victim advocates
• Health and Human Services + Behavioral health providers
• Community and nonprofit organizations

These programs provide a hand up—not a handout.

Every day, they connect victims to:
• Housing assistance
• Counseling and mental health support
• Financial assistance
• Legal advocacy
• Safety planning
• Restitution resources
• Treatment services
• Long-term recovery support

And they do it efficiently, collaboratively, and often with far fewer resources than many traditional government programs.

Because these agencies are accustomed to doing so much with so little, they have built extraordinary partnerships with faith-based organizations, nonprofits, community leaders, businesses, and volunteers who help expand services far beyond what government funding alone can provide.

That is why these investments matter.

When government cuts funds for the very teams that provide accountability, prevention, victim support, collaboration, and coordinated intervention, it weakens the systems that many vulnerable individuals depend upon most.

The reality is simple:

• Communities deserve both compassion and accountability
• Victims deserve support
• Taxpayers deserve measurable results
• Individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental illness, or victimization deserve programs that are proven to work

We are calling on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to revisit this decision and amend the budget to restore funding for these critical prevention and community safety programs.

We are specifically asking Supervisor Hume and Supervisor Desmond to demonstrate the leadership they spoke about on the campaign trail and bring forward a vote to restore funding that was specifically identified as critical by criminal justice partners during budget discussions.

The budget can be amended at any point during the fiscal year—and it is never the wrong time to do what is right.

We encourage residents to respectfully contact the Board of Supervisors and make their voices heard:

https://www.bos.saccounty.gov/ .tab=0

Finally, we would like to thank Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez for being the lone vote against these cuts and for standing with victims, survivors, community safety, and accountability.

Victims, taxpayers, and all Sacramento residents deserve a New Sacramento Solution that delivers results.

CVUC strongly supports AB 1902, to close loopholes in juvenile justice detention extensions, which will be heard soon. Please contact members of the committee (spsf.senate.ca.gov/members) and urge them to vote YES AND send a letter of support here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/supportab1902?source=direct_link&

Support AB 1902 (Pellerin) A jury found a violent offender too dangerous to release… but California law forces the victim’s family to relive the trauma every 2 years. 🚨 That’s a real gap in our system. AB 1902 fixes it. This bill strengthens juvenile detention extension hearings, closes legal loopholes, and helps pro...

Thank you to our Placer County Sheriff’s and Probation Office for helping keep us safe!!

𝐒𝐞𝐱 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲
On May 27, Crimes Against Persons Detectives partnered with Placer County Probation Department to conduct a s*x offender compliance sweep. The operation included compliance checks at eight locations throughout Placer County.

During the sweep, two probationers were found to be out of compliance with the terms of their release. Investigators contacted the first one at the Mobile Temporary Shelter in Auburn and determined he was in violation of his Postrelease Community Supervision (PRCS) conditions. He was arrested after being found in possession of drug paraphernalia, undisclosed electronic devices, and s*xually explicit material, which violated the terms of his supervision.

The second probationer contacted during the compliance operation was found in possession of s*xually explicit material, and a Violation of Probation was filed with the Court.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office and Placer County Probation regularly conduct compliance operations and other proactive enforcement efforts to monitor registered s*x offenders and help ensure they remain in compliance with the conditions of their release.

Today is Election Day.

For survivors, showing up has always mattered. We know what it means to fight through adversity, to find our voice, and to stand up for safer communities. We will always work to prevent future crime and do everything we can to ensure that no individual or family has to endure the pain that so many of us have experienced.

But we are more than survivors.

We are business owners.
We are realtors.
We are nurses.
We are community leaders.
We are parents.
We are neighbors.

We come from every walk of life, and our experiences matter. Our voices matter.

The fight for a better, safer California belongs to all of us. The more people who show up—to the voting booth, to community conversations, to policy discussions, and to civic engagement—the stronger our communities become.

So today, vote. And for tomorrow:

Keep showing up.
Keep speaking up.
Keep moving our state forward.

View our statewide endorsement list here: https://www.crimevictimsunited.com/endorsements