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Sacramento – Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee), during a debate on the Senate Floor this morning, ripped into Senate Bill 417, a measure that would gift $136,000 to a meth addict who was caught trying to escape from parole in Kern County.
The case involved Moonshadow Naomi Taggart, a meth addict with multiple drug violations who violated the parole requirements of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department in 2015. A jury subsequently convicted Taggart of escape, however her conviction was overturned by an Appeals Court on a technicality.
Taggart sought compensation from the California Victim Compensation Board for time served on the so-called “false” conviction of escape. The Compensation Board’s civil service hearing officer recommended Taggart be awarded $62,860 for the extra days in jail she served.
However, Democrat Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent a deputy to pressure the three Democrat members of the Compensation Board (Julie Lee, Secretary of the Government Operations Agency; Betty Yee, Controller; and Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton).
Magically, the Compensation Board rejected the decision by their own hearing officer and raised the compensation amount for Taggart to $136,780.
“This whole case smells,” stated Senator Jones. “I believe in second chances for those seeking redemption, but gifting $136,000 in taxpayer funds to a meth addict under these circumstances is simply wrong.”
SB 417 was approved by the Senate on a party line vote of 29 - 5.