A 72-year-old convicted sex offender serving a 45-year prison sentence will soon be a free man, more than three decades ahead of schedule.
On Thursday, Aug. 8, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Scott P. Williams approved the release of Frank Duane Brown under the state of California’s “Compassionate Release” law.
The law, also known as AB 960 or recall of sentence, applies to inmates who no longer pose a threat to public safety or are terminally ill, among other criteria.
Though Brown pled guilty to six felony counts of forced lewd and lascivious sexual acts on a child under the age of 14 years old in 2013 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, his metastatic liver cancer allows California’s “Compassionate Release” law to apply, CBS News reported.
Judge Williams granted the compassionate release petition and ordered Brown's release from prison within the next 30 days, according to a press release shared by the District Attorney’s Office of Riverside County on Friday, Aug. 9.
"While early release has become increasingly common, it is appalling that this release was even being considered given the offender's violent crime against a child,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said.
“Once again, the state places the victim in a traumatic situation, forcing her to fight to keep her perpetrator in prison for the sentence handed down by a court of law. By doing so, victims must relive their devastating experiences. How is this justice?” he continued.
The district attorney added that his office “remains steadfast in opposing the early release of felons to protect victims and ensure public safety.”
Hestrin called it “outrageous” that “a clearly dangerous sexual predator” would be released before his full sentence was complete.
More at https://people.com/calif-man-convic...d-released-34-years-early-here-is-why-8693568
