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Roundtable: Taking A Stand On Immigration, Mattis As Defense Secretary, Effects Of Legal Pot

By Neiko Will / Producer,  Pat Finn / Producer ,  Mark Sauer / Host, The Roundtable
Published December 9, 2016 at 8:09 AM PST
This story was published more than 8 years ago.
Roundtable: Taking A Stand On Immigration, Mattis As Defense
Roundtable: Taking A Stand On Immigration, Mattis As Defense Secretary, Effects Of Legal Pot
Immigration Legislation, Mattis as Defense Secretary, Pot and San Diego criminal justice GUESTS: Andrew Bowen, metro reporter, KPBS News Chris Jennewein, editor, Times of San Diego Tony Perry, freelance journalist

California and the Trump Administration

Deep blue California doesn’t have much in common with Donald Trump. California legislators have announced they will be preparing for battle on several fronts, particularly on immigration. State Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, introduced the Due Process For All Act bill that would fund legal help for noncitizens facing deportation. Democrats in the legislature also sent a letter to Obama asking him to block off-shore oil drilling.

Related: California Officials Work To Boost Support For Immigrants Ahead Of Trump’s Tenure

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James Mattis Chosen For Defense

Marine Corps Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis (ret.), who led Camp Pendleton troops into battle in Iraq, is Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense. He will need a waiver from Congress, as there is a law prohibiting retired military from serving as Defense Secretary. Mattis differs with Trump on the use and efficacy of torture, on conciliation toward Russia and on the Iran nuclear deal. His nomination is seen as a boost for the Marine Corps.

Related: Trump Picks Gen. James Mattis As His Defense Secretary

Legal Pot and the Legal System

Proposition 64 legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana is having an immediate effect on the court system here and the rest of the state. Some felony-level possession charges were reduced to misdemeanors. People in prison for marijuana crimes may petition to be resentenced. Those who have served their time but are stuck with a criminal record may petition to have the felony record removed.

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In San Diego, the re-sentencing process is fairly rapid because of lessons learned from the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014, which reduced several felonies to misdemeanors. The San Diego District Attorney's office and the Public Defender’s office are cooperating.

Related: Marijuana Legalization Takes Root In San Diego Courts

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Neiko Will
Neiko Will is a producer for KPBS Evening Edition and KPBS Roundtable.
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Pat Finn
Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
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Mark Sauer
A newspaperman for more than 30 years, Mark Sauer joined KPBS in October 2010 and previously served as the host of the KPBS Roundtable. He spent 27 years as a reporter and editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune after stints at The Houston Post and at two papers in his native Michigan. A features/human-interest writer in the UT's Currents section for many years, Mark also spent about a third of his UT career as an editor and reporter on the Metro Desk. He has covered a wide range of events: Wild fires in Southern California and Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast; Super Bowls and the World Series; foster care and child-abuse issues; the Roman Catholic Diocese's sexual-abuse scandal and bankruptcy; royal visits of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Diana; Republican and Democratic national conventions; high-profile criminal trials; and many other stories, from the silly to the sublime. Along the way, he interviewed everyone from presidents to pan-handlers. His work exposing the false accusations and prosecutions of several San Diegans for murder, rape and child abuse garnered Pulitzer Prize nominations and many regional and local journalism awards, including Best in the West, the Sol Price Award for Responsible Journalism and several San Diego and California bar-association awards. Mark has a degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
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KPBS News: Public Safety Policy
KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.
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