"California adopts 'fair sentencing' drug law"

[pinto]

1. Plus, we have Prop. 47 up for a vote.

Criminal Sentences, Misdemeanor Penalties, Initiative Statute.

* Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for certain drug possession offenses.

* Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for the following crimes when amount involved is $950 or less: theft, receiving stolen property, forging/writing bad checks.

* Allows felony sentence for these offenses if person has previous convictions for crimes such as rape, murder, child molestation or registered sex offender.

* Requires re-sentencing for persons serving felony sentences for these offenses unless court finds unreasonable public safety risk.

* Applies savings to mental health and drug treatment programs, K-12 schools and crime victims.