West
Kamala Harris’ record as prosecutor in California spells ‘trouble’ for presidential campaign: lawyer
Kamala Harris’ policies as San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General could come back to haunt her as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president, experts say.
“She’s one of these people who’ve talked out of both sides of her mouth, and she’s going to have trouble with both the left and the right with the stances she’s taken over the years,” Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer Nicole Castronovo told Fox News Digital.
Critics of potential presidential nominee Harris are calling attention to her backing of a controversial 2014 California law that some blame for unleashing rampant crime across the state.
As California’s then attorney general, Harris and her office were responsible for writing up a summary of Proposition 47 to inform voters of its contents and intent.
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally on June 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Dubbed the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” the legislation lessened penalties for a variety of crimes – including making the theft of items with a total value of less than $950 a misdemeanor.
That provision, critics assert, handed thieves a de facto carte blanche to plunder beleaguered retail outlets with near impunity.
“Now she’s running in a general election against someone who is tough on crime, I would expect her to shift back to her less progressive, more conservative prosecution roots,”
“They changed sentencing to free criminals who should have been incarcerated and titled it with a misleading name,” Castronovo noted. “But it actually made communities less safe.”
Other crimes that were once felonies – including forgery, fraud, drug use, and the receiving of stolen goods valued under $950 – were also reclassified as misdemeanors.
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Castronovo said the law has even angered some of Harris’ liberal backers.
“People are over the crime,” she said. “It really does affect your daily life. We’re paying so much money to live in LA where crime is just out of control.”
Then Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley called Proposition 47 a political “Trojan Horse” that would eventually foment illegality in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Castronovo also highlighted Harris’ full-throated endorsement of polarizing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
“As D.A. of L.A. County, I know George Gascón will work every day to keep our communities safe and demand real accountability from our justice system and real justice for every Angeleno,” Harris told the Los Angeles Times in February 2020.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon arrives at a news conference to address the allegation that hotels are using staffing agencies to hire homeless migrants as replacement workers for strikers at Le Meridien Defina hotel in Santa Monica on Oct. 23, 2023. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
But Gasccón’s reign has since been turbulent, with critics arguing that his office has ushered in spiraling disorder.
His tenure has produced several recall campaigns that fizzled out.
Prior to becoming California Attorney General in 2011, Harris served as San Francisco’s District Attorney from 2004 to 2011.
Some observers said she had a more tough-on-crime approach to prosecutions during that period.
In a vastly different political climate predating the George Floyd killing and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Harris was considered a moderate, according to former federal prosecutor turned defense attorney Neama Rahmani.
“I thought she was tough and fair,” he said. “This was well before any of these progressive initiatives. She’s now tried to distance herself from that a bit.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event as part of the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, Saturday, July 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Harris drew scrutiny during her time as San Francisco DA for seeking to charge parents of chronically truant students. She also sought higher bail for defendants charged with gun offenses.
Some progressives criticized Harris prosecuting more than 1,900 marijuana cases during her reign as DA.
“She was attacked for being too extreme, putting people in prison for longer periods of time, disproportionately affecting men and people of color,” Rahmani said.
But despite her reputation as a prosecutorial hawk in those days, Harris remained opposed to the death penalty.
That position drew attention after she refused to seek a capital murder case against a man who shot and killed a San Francisco police officer.
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President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive for a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, May 27, 2024. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The decision even drew a rare public rebuke from then Sen. Dianne Feinstein. But then, when she became AG, she defended the death penalty, Castronovo noted.
“She’s going to have a lot of issues with her death penalty positions,” the attorney said.
Rahmani said he expects Harris to now modify her tone once again given her potential face-off with former President Donald Trump.
“Now she’s running in a general election against someone who is tough on crime, I would expect her to shift back to her less progressive, more conservative prosecution roots,” he said.
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Montana
Belgrade wins best tasting tap water in Montana
Camaree Uljua, Belgrade’s director of Public Works, said that the city will now advance to American Waterworks Association national conference in Washington D.C., but the victory comes with another valuable perk.
“We have a bit of a lighthearted rivalry with Bozeman and some of the bigger cities in the state,” Uljua said. “It’s kind of bragging rights.”
Nevada
Nevada DETR ready to help laid-off Spirit Airlines employees
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — State officials say they are ready to provide assistance to the 999 people laid off from Spirit Airlines.
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) said it will support former Spirit employees with reemployment services, retraining opportunities and more.
Impacted workers can also file for unemployment insurance at NUI.nv.gov.
“DETR is committed to supporting every Nevada worker affected by the Spirit Airlines layoffs,” department Director Christopher Sewell said in a statement. “Our team is ready to provide timely resources, guidance, and individualized assistance to help impacted employees navigate their next steps.”
Rapid Response is a free program that provides strategies for layoffs and plant closures. It quickly coordinates services and provides immediate support to employers and affected workers.
Employees can access no-cost career and training services through EmployNV. This includes career counseling and job-search assistance, skills assessments and re-skilling opportunities, and training grants for high-demand career fields.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo encouraged anyone who was laid off to use DETR’s resources.
“Our priority is getting folks back to work right away, and the state stands ready to assist with no-cost employment services to help with the transition,” Lombardo said in a statement.
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Spirit ceased operations on May 2 after failing to secure a government bailout. The company notified Nevada DETR that it was laying off 999 employees based at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas as a result.
New Mexico
Rodeo Recap: Rodeos in California, New Mexico, and Missouri Highlight Weekend
The professional rodeo season continues to heat up as we head into the spring and summer runs. Rodeos across the country drew top athletes over the recent weekend, as they vie for positions at the 2026 National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
Every dollar counts, especially as we enter the last five months of the 2026 season.
Riverdale Rodeo – Riverdale, Calif.
Bareback rider Jacob Lees earned two California victories on the weekend, scoring 81.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Sweet Annie in Riverdale. His 83.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Socket claimed the win in Stonyford.
Reigning Circuit Champion, Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, topped the barrel racing by two-tenths of a second with her time of 17.04 sconds.
Stonyford Rodeo – Stonyford, Calif.
California cowboy Bailey Small put together a solid weekend in his circuit, winning Stonyford with an 82.5-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Classy Clark. He also finished second in Riverdale.
Barrel racer Kathy Petska continues to dominate the circuit, claiming yet another spring win with a 17.50-second run.
American Royal Rodeo – Kansas City, Mo.
There are now two “Popes” to watch out for in the bareback riding — three-time NFR Average Champion and World Champion, Jess Pope, and his brother, Ty. Ty made a huge ride in Kansas City, scoring 87 points on Smith Pro Rodeos’ Broadway Boots for the win.
In 2025, Kansas cowboy Weston Patterson made his first NFR appearance and has carried that momentum into his 2026 season. Scoring 88 points on Korkow Rodeos’ Joker Poker, he claimed the saddle bronc riding win.
Pioneer Days Rodeo – Clovis, N.M.
Tie-down roper Buck Tate earned the win by over two full seconds, taking home $1,404.
Reigning Breakaway Roping World Champion Taylor Munsell claimed the $2,054 victory with a time of 1.8 seconds.
Helotes Festival Association Rodeo – Helotes, Texas
In bareback riding, Taylor Broussard matched up with Andrews Rodeo’s Empty Promises for a score of 85.5 points to earn the win.
Seven-time NFR qualifier, Isaac Diaz, topped the leaderboard with a score of 89 points on Diamond G Rodeo’s To The Limit. He earned the win in saddle bronc riding and $1,855.
PPCLA PRCA Rodeo – Mineral Wells, Texas
Sissy Winn put together a solid weekend in her circuit, topping the barrel racing in Mineral Wells and finishing fourth in Helotes.
Hailing from Winnie, Texas, Ethan Winckler made the only qualified ride in bull riding, scoring 87.5 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Mr. Blue Sky and taking home a whopping $4,863.
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