Crime Victims United

10/30/2026

𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙎 𝙐𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙎 𝘼𝘿𝘿𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 2026 𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙄𝙎𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙊𝙍𝙎𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎
𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺-𝘰𝘧-𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 3 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Sacramento, CA — Crime Victims United (CVU) today announced an additional round of
endorsements for the November 3, 2026, election, recognizing three more candidates the
organization says have demonstrated leadership on issues affecting victims, survivors, families
and communities in California.

Crime Victims United is endorsing:
➡️Assembly Member, Candidate for Senate District 14, Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno)
➡️Kern County Supervisor, Candidate for Assembly District 32, David Couch (R-Bakersfield)
➡️Senator, Candidate for Senate District 22, Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park)

“It is important to recognize pragmatic, solution-oriented candidates who are willing to
work across differences and focus on the real-life issues affecting Californians,” said Topo
Padilla, President of Crime Victims United. “Victim and survivor issues are California
issues, as are the public’s safety, accountability for crimes committed, and support for crime victims and their families. Californians have been clear that they want to feel secure where they live and work, and we encourage residents to research candidates carefully, looking beyond party labels and rhetoric and examining their records and values on matters impacting our overall safety. And of course, we encourage everyone to VOTE!”

Crime Victims United said the bipartisan endorsements continue to reflect the organization’slongstanding position that victims’ rights and community safety should transcend partisan politics. The organization will continue sharing information leading into the November 3 election.

10/29/2026

We are just getting started - the time for a new era for victims and survivors is NOW!

10/29/2026

A SURVIVOR’S PLACE IS AT THE TABLE - what a novel concept.

Survivors deserve meaningful representation beyond the courtroom — in criminal justice policy discussions, sentencing and parole decisions, legislative committees, and the policies that directly impact their lives.

As Placer County District Attorney's Office said perfectly, "Women deserve a seat at the table. Children (through representation) deserve a seat at the table. And those whose lives were taken by crime deserve to have their voices represented, too.

Fairness, equitable access, and diverse perspectives are essential to the integrity of our criminal justice system.

**HELP US SPREAD THE MESSAGE!** Print our poster, take a selfie holding it, and share your photo in the comments below! Let's show policymakers that survivors deserve a seat at the table. We are not backing down and will continue to stand tall!

10/29/2026

A SURVIVOR’S PLACE IS AT THE TABLE.

Crime Victims United and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office are calling on California leadership to formally put victims at the table when making decisions about the future of our criminal justice system.

Yesterday, the California Committee on Revision of the Penal Code held a meeting inside a state prison, providing approximately 20–30 incarcerated individuals the opportunity to engage directly with committee members on policies involving sentencing, life without the possibility of parole (LWOP), and potential changes to California’s criminal justice laws.

Yet not one crime victim or survivor was given a comparable seat at the table.

Today, we are calling for two meaningful changes:

1. Formally establish two designated victim representative positions on the Committee—one representing victims and surviving families of serious violent crimes, and another with expertise in victims’ constitutional and civil rights.
2. Host the next Committee meeting with a victim focus, working with Crime Victims United and the Placer DA’s Empower + Resilience Project to bring 20–30 crime victims and survivors to the table to share their experiences and answer questions about LWOP, death penalty considerations, sentencing reforms, parole and more.

“Providing victims and survivors with the same direct access to committee members would help ensure future recommendations reflect not only the experiences of incarcerated individuals, but also the lasting consequences of crime for victims, families and communities,” said Crime Victims United President Topo Padilla. “A survivor’s place is not on the sidelines of criminal justice policy. A survivor’s place is at the table.”

Victims deserve more than a few minutes of public comment after major policy discussions have already taken place. They deserve meaningful representation in the room where those discussions happen.

If California is serious about giving victims a voice, it’s time to give them a seat at the table.

Read our full joint press release below.

𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝘿𝘼’𝙨 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨
PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — The Placer County District Attorney’s Office and Crime Victims United are calling for equal representation of crime victims and survivors following a meeting of California’s Committee on Revision of the Penal Code held inside a state prison, where approximately 20–30 incarcerated individuals participated in discussions about sentencing, criminal justice policy, and review of life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) cases.

Incarcerated participants were able to engage directly with committee members, ask questions, and share their perspectives. No crime victim or victim representative was afforded a comparable opportunity.

The discussions included potential reviews and resentencing of individuals serving LWOP—sentences imposed in some of California’s most serious criminal cases. For victims and surviving families, these policies carry profound consequences and can reopen cases they believed had reached a final resolution.

The Committee identified giving victims a voice and considering public safety among its stated goals. The two organizations welcome those commitments and are urging the Committee to reflect them in its meeting structure.

“A policy discussion is different from a courtroom, but the voices and perspectives of crime victims and survivors are just as important when shaping criminal justice policy. The Committee identified giving victims a voice and considering public safety as stated goals. To that, we say: Prove it. Include victims and survivors in these discussions. Talk to them, not just about them, when making recommendations on sentencing reform and policies that directly affect their lives and families,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire.

The organizations are calling on state leadership to establish two designated victim representative positions on the Committee: one representing victims and surviving families of serious violent crimes, including homicide, domestic violence, s*xual assault and child abuse; and another with expertise in victims’ constitutional and civil rights.

They also urge the Committee to dedicate its next meeting to victims and survivors, partnering with the District Attorney’s Office’s Empower + Resilience Project and Crime Victims United to bring approximately 20–30 victims and survivors into a roundtable discussion with committee members. Participants would have the opportunity to address LWOP, death penalty considerations, sentencing reforms, and other policies affecting victims and their families.

“Providing victims and survivors with the same direct access to committee members would help ensure future recommendations reflect not only the experiences of incarcerated individuals, but also the lasting consequences of crime for victims, families and communities,” said Crime Victims United President Topo Padilla. “A survivor’s place is not on the sidelines of criminal justice policy. A survivor’s place is at the table.”

For information about the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code and its public meetings, visit the Committee’s meeting agenda page: https://clrc.ca.gov/CRPC/Meetings/Agenda.html

10/28/2026

𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝘾𝙅𝙇𝙁 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙐𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙨’ 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘽𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨

Today, Sandy Friend joined Crime Victims United and the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to meet with her and reject blanket commutations of California’s death sentences, including the sentence of the man who brutally murdered her 8-year-old son, Michael Lyons.

This is after Sandy bravely shared her story with the California Committee on Revision of the Penal Code at yesterday’s meeting.

While incarcerated individuals were given more than an hour to provide feedback and answer questions about commutations and life-without-parole sentences, Sandy had to call in remotely and was afforded only a few minutes during public comment at the end of the meeting.

Think about that. A mother who has spent nearly 30 years living with the murder of her child was given just minutes to share her experience during a discussion of policies that could directly affect her son's killer.

Her voice matters. Her son's life matters. And victims and survivors deserve a meaningful seat at the table when these policies are being considered.

As Crime Victims United President Topo Padilla stated: “Governor Newsom needs to hear Sandy’s plea and look her in the eye before changing her son’s killer’s sentence. Families were asked to trust the justice system through trials, appeals and decades of anguish. Their loved ones deserve more than a blanket decision that sweeps aside individual judgments. Meet with these families. Say their loved ones’ names. Hear what was taken from them.”

Sandy has waited at the Capitol hoping to speak with the Governor. She has written letters. Today, she is still asking for the opportunity to be heard.

Her request is simple: Before making decisions that could change the sentences of hundreds of convicted murderers, meet with the families whose lives were forever changed by their crimes.

As Sandy said: “Michael didn’t get mercy. He didn’t get a second chance, and no one changed his sentence. Michael deserved a lifetime, and I will never let him be forgotten.”

We stand with Sandy and every family asking to be heard in these consequential policy discussions.

🌹 Read today's full release, “A Mother’s Plea for Justice”:
https://cjlf.org/press-releases/a-mothers-plea-for-justice-sandy-friend-crime-victims-united-and-cjlf-urge-governor-newsom-to-hear-victims-families-and-reject-blanket-commutations

10/27/2026

The California Committee on Revision of the Penal Code hearing is now underway, and today's meeting is taking place inside a prison, with approximately 20–30 incarcerated individuals participating in the discussion. Committee members have also expressed interest in holding future meetings at prisons moving forward.

The location of today's meeting and who has a seat at the table are not lost on us. In the courtroom, there are two sides represented in the discussion. We hope future meetings reflect that same commitment to balance by ensuring victims and survivors have an equal opportunity to be heard.

Specifically, we hope the Committee's next meeting will provide that same opportunity for crime victims and survivors - on location and participation opportunities.

Imagine holding a future meeting at a victims' rights organization, a victim advocacy center, or a safe house, with 20–30 victims and survivors equally represented at the table.

At the beginning of today's meeting, the Committee identified two of its four goals as giving victims a voice and considering public safety. We appreciate those stated commitments and look forward to seeing future meetings reflect them through meaningful opportunities for victims and survivors to participate.

We encourage everyone to tune in now to today's hearing, which includes discussion of death penalty clemency and other consequential criminal justice issues.

WATCH THE HEARING LIVE:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81871061684

10/27/2026

(𝙊𝙋-𝙀𝘿) 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝘽𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙖𝙣
𝘉𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘰, 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥

Our founder penned an op-ed cautioning politicians to not write women off as campaign slogans, sharing that women need to be listened to at all times - not just for their votes. Please read and share!!

"California politicians have become exceptionally good at telling survivors what they want to hear during campaign season. Believe women. Stand with survivors. Protect victims. These words dominate campaign speeches, legacy statements, political advertisements, and press conferences whenever politically convenient.

But what happens when the cameras turn off? Too often, the very leaders who publicly champion survivors are unwilling to confront the consequences of criminal justice policies that leave victims questioning their safety every day.

Consider the case of Lloyd Edwards. Edwards was convicted of violent s*xual offenses and sentenced to three life terms plus 51 years. Yet after serving approximately two decades, he was released on parole in 2022, despite the objections of his victims. In September 2026, he was arrested again.

This case comes on the heels of other high-profile and deeply troubling decisions, including the October release of convicted serial ra**st Andrew Luster, who was originally sentenced to 124 years in prison, and the attempted release of prolific s*xual predator David Allen Funston, who was sentenced to multiple life terms. These cases involve different legal loopholes, but collectively raise questions about California's criminal justice laws, and the protections afforded to women and s*xual assault survivors.

There is something profoundly troubling about a political culture that celebrates women during campaign season while survivors in California continue demanding basic transparency and accountability over decisions affecting their safety. We hear national declarations about standing with women. We see politicians weighing in on federal controversies and presenting themselves as champions of survivors. Yet here at home, survivors are still asking why violent offenders are being released, whether victims received adequate notification, and why legitimate concerns about safety are so often dismissed."

Read the full article here: https://www.crimevictimsunited.com/cvu/op-ed-women-should-be-more-than-a-campaign-slogan

10/26/2026

𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙄𝘼 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙎𝙐𝙍𝙑𝙄𝙑𝙊𝙍𝙎: 𝙏𝙐𝙉𝙀 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙍𝙊𝙒 — 𝙏𝙐𝙀𝙎𝘿𝘼𝙔, 𝙊𝘾𝙏𝙊𝘽𝙀𝙍 27 | 1 𝙋.𝙈. 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘼𝙉𝙊𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙀 𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙀𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝙊𝘿𝙀
Crime Victims United is calling on victims, survivors, families and advocates across California to tune in to the upcoming meeting of the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, which studies California's criminal justice laws and develops recommendations that can influence future legislation.

Among the issues on tomorrow's agenda is a particularly consequential discussion: death penalty commutation considerations, including the potential implications of changing death sentences to life without the possibility of parole.

With California continuing to consider significant changes to sentencing, parole and resentencing policies, it is critical that victims and survivors understand these discussions and have an opportunity to make their voices heard.

**THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:**

- Tune in virtually: Watch the public meeting via Zoom.
- Attend in person: 925 L Street, Suite 250, Sacramento, CA.
- Submit written feedback: Email Committee staff at [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].
- Participate in public comment: The agenda includes a designated General Public Comment period. Follow the meeting moderator's instructions to request an opportunity to speak.

**READ THE DEATH PENALTY MEMORANDUM:**
https://clrc.ca.gov/CRPC/Pub/Memos/CRPC26-15.pdf

**ACCESS THE FULL AGENDA AND ZOOM MEETING:**
https://clrc.ca.gov/CRPC/Meetings/Agenda.html

We encourage every victim, survivor and advocate to review the materials, tune in and participate.

**Criminal justice policy should never be developed without considering the voices of those who have experienced its consequences firsthand.**

Thank you to the Placer County District Attorney's Office for helping educate the public about these important opportunities for civic engagement.

10/26/2026

We agree with San Luis Obispo County District Attorney.

When the Governor announces clemency grants, the people responsible are named, their backgrounds are highlighted, and their rehabilitation is detailed. Meanwhile, the people whose lives were taken are too often reduced to a generic reference: “the victim.”

That is not dignity. That is not equity. And it is not justice.

Every victim deserves to be treated fairly, equally, and with respect. That starts with acknowledging their humanity and saying their name.

Victims and survivors should never be an afterthought in public safety decisions. Their lives mattered. Their stories matter. And their names matter.

We appreciate San Luis Obispo County District Attorney for calling attention to this important truth.

10/23/2026

𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙈 𝘾𝙍𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙎 𝙐𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝙊𝙉 𝙂𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙉𝙊𝙍 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎𝙊𝙈’𝙎 𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝙋𝙐𝘽𝙇𝙄𝘾 𝙎𝘼𝙁𝙀𝙏𝙔 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏: 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙄𝘼 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝘿𝙊 𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙉𝙀𝙓𝙏 𝘿𝙀𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀

In the last hour of his tenure, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new interagency effort to shape California’s public safety strategy for the future - releasing what seems to be a veiled attempt at a legacy statement. Unfortunately, this announcement appears to be yet another attempt to rewrite the history of public safety under his tenure.

For nearly eight years, victims and survivors have witnessed some of California’s most concerning criminal justice laws enacted under this administration: dangerous expanded parole, reduced oversight of s*x offenders, diversion opportunities for dangerous offenders, and repeated efforts that victims believe undermine the constitutional protections guaranteed under Marsy’s Law.

And that is only the legislative record.

Under this administration, we have witnessed troubling transparency and accountability failures within his California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, expanded early-release pathways with no oversight, quietly administering new considerations for individuals sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, serious failures involving his Department of State Hospitals’ s*xually violent predator program, and the list goes on. And in this past month alone, his administration has advanced policies that threaten to undermine LWOP sentences, while simultaneously considering commutations of death sentences to LWOP. Together, these actions raise the alarming possibility of creating new pathways toward resentencing and potential release for California’s most dangerous convicted offenders. Whether our governor wants to acknowledge it or not, THAT is his legacy on public safety.

His disregard for victims and survivors extends to California voters as well. Nearly 70% supported Proposition 36 to restore accountability and give public safety the tools to be successful, yet his administration intentionally failed to provide the funding necessary for its full implementation, disregarding a clear mandate from the very people he was elected to serve. THAT is his legacy on how he regards his residents.

Perhaps most troubling, as his administration approaches its final years, the Governor’s office dismissed the experiences of survivors speaking out against these policies as “political rhetoric,” while failing to meaningfully engage with victims and families directly affected by his administration’s decisions or offering a retraction. THAT is his legacy on how he views victims.

Victims, survivors, and residents deserve more than a carefully packaged legacy statement. They deserved more than what this last administration gave them this past decade. We remain hopeful that California’s next administration will change course and restore victims’ voices to the center of public safety policy. As Governor Newsom looks toward his political future, we also hope the nation examines California’s full record, not simply the narrative being presented at the end of his tenure.

California’s last decade of public safety decisions should serve as a warning, not a model for the nation. We are calling on our state to do better. We believe our leaders can still rise to the challenge and bring in a new era for victims and Californians. We will be there every step of the way.