"To be clear, this individual was previously sentenced to multiple life terms for extremely heinous crimes. However, subsequent changes in state law and recent parole board failures have altered the practical effect of those life sentences for the victims and communities at large."
"When changes in the law put our communities at risk, it is our duty to re-evaluate those cases and act accordingly. David Allen Funston committed very real crimes against a Placer County child, and the statute of limitations allows us to hold him accountable."
David Allen Funston, 64, was convicted in 1999 of 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation involving at least eight children. He received three consecutive 25-year-to-life sentences. Under California's elder parole program, the Board of Parole authorized his early release on Thursday after determining he met eligibility requirements. However, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire announced new charges against Funston stemming from an alleged 1996 child sexual assault in Roseville. Prosecutors had previously declined to pursue this separate case, believing Funston would serve life in prison. The DA stated that recent changes in state law and parole board decisions have altered the practical effect of his life sentences, prompting the office to re-evaluate and pursue accountability for the previously unprosecuted crime.
#california-elder-parole-law #child-sexual-abuse-prosecution #criminal-justice-policy #parole-board-decisions
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