Modesto Assemblymember Juan Alanis is a former sheriff’s sergeant. Corona Assemblymember Bill Essayli is a former county and federal prosecutor. The two Republicans agree on a lot of things when it comes to crime and courts.
But Essayli let Alanis know last week he staunchly opposes Alanis’s bill that would give county probation officers a permanent pass to get out of jury duty for criminal cases. State probation officers unions are championing Assembly Bill 387 , since they think their members should have the same rights as police officers and sheriff’s deputies to avoid jury service.
But Essayli, who has prosecuted more than 20 criminal trials in his career, said probation officers should be no different than any other Californian…