Wednesday, January 21, 2009

In Re Vasquez (Cal. Ct. App. - Jan. 21, 2009)

Maybe I can save everyone a little bit of time. Just cut-and-paste the following and fill in the blanks:

"Petitioner _________ was convicted of murder a long, long time ago, in ________. Since then, he has been almost/entirely discipline-free -- and has accomplished a great deal of positive things -- while in prison. His application for parole has been repeatedly supported by a plethora of individuals at the prison, including but not limited to guards, and he has been described as a model inmate. After several prior denials of parole, the Board of Parole Hearings eventually found petitioner suitable for parole. Governor Schwarzenegger, however, reversed this decision, as he nearly uniformly does in murder cases. We conclude, however, that there was no substantial evidence to support the Governor's conclusion. We accordingly grant the petition and reinstate the Board's parole release order."

That template accurately describes the vast majority of the contemporary parole cases. Including this one.

Isn't it sad when you can create an accurate macro about crucial determinations involving the life and liberty of a hundred or so prisoners?