BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Three men who have repeatedly stolen from stores in Kern County were recently sentenced to prison in separate cases, each convicted of felonies under changes to the law brought by Prop 36, prosecutors said.
“Thanks to the law Kern County voters supported, repeat offenders are facing real consequences,” District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said in a release. “They’re being held in prison, where they’ll serve significant time for their crimes.”
Prop 36, which took effect in December, allows prosecutors to bring felony charges against suspects accused of petty theft who have at least two prior theft-related convictions. Previously, prosecutors were often limited to filing misdemeanor charges for the offense, with convictions resulting in at most a year in jail, according to the release…