Police officers to speak out against new felony murder law
A utility box painted to honor Ricky Galvez. Photo by Pam Lane
DOWNEY — Several Downey police officers, including high-ranking administration officials, will speak out at Tuesday’s City Council meeting in opposition of new legislation that changed California’s felony murder rule.
Then-governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1437 into law on Sept. 30, restricting prosecutors’ abilities to charge accomplices to murder unless they were “a major participant in the underlying felony and acted with reckless indifference to human life.”
The law is retroactive, meaning hundreds of inmates convicted of acting as accomplices to murder can apply for re-sentencing.
Local law enforcement officials blame the legislation for the sentence imposed on 20-year-old Abel Diaz, who earlier this month was remanded to juvenile detention for his role in the murder of Downey police officer Ricky Galvez in 2015.
Diaz is expected to be incarcerated for no more than five years.
Members of the Downey Police Officers Association, along with the Downey Police Management Association, said they will speak against the law during the non-agenda public comment portion of Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Officers will be off-duty when they make their comments, they said. Council members are considering a public resolution against the legislation.
Pedro Galvez, brother of Ricky Galvez, wrote a public letter last week denouncing SB 1437, saying it “allows for the re-victimization of those most impacted by such heinous crimes and their families.”
“This bill offers zero liability to individuals who have served as accomplice to the crime of murder, as it allows murderers, dangerous criminals, who have already demonstrated a complete disregard for human life, to petition to have their convictions dismissed, absent of a proper court hearing in which adequate evidentiary support (full court records, exhibits) are thoroughly reviewed and considered,” Pedro Galvez wrote.
Tuesday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.