Say no to SB-82:

 California is proposing SB-82, to make some crimes that would be felony in the current law, into misdemeanor. The summary text of the bill is:

This bill would define the crime of petty theft in the first degree as taking the property from the person of another or from a commercial establishment by means of force or fear without the use of a deadly weapon or great bodily injury.

Previously (currently), if somebody use force or fear to "take" money from others, that is robbery. He doesn't have to use gun or sharp knife, he can just say "I am making an offer you can't refuse", or put one hand in his pocket, pretending that is a gun.  In the proposed new law, this is no longer a robbery, it is a "petty theft" now!

Only if the person is using gun or sharp knife (It's hard to say whether a metal baseball bat is "deadly weapon" or not), or the target is dead or bleeding (great bodily injury), then this becomes a robbery, a felony that has longer jail time and criminal record.

I object to this change. Whenever the person is using force or fear to attack others, take away the valuables, that is no longer a theft. The force or fear brings nightmare to the innocent receiver, creates insecurity to the community, it definitely should be a felony.