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California Today

California Today: A Sheriff Speaks Out Against a Sanctuary Law

Good morning.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaking about his lawsuit against California at a meeting of law enforcement officers in Sacramento.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

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When Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to Sacramento two weeks ago to tell law enforcement officials why the federal government was suing California over its sanctuary laws, he was greeted by protesters in the streets and a tongue lashing by Gov. Jerry Brown.

But some law enforcement officials in California agree with Mr. Sessions that sanctuary policies go too far. The California State Sheriffs’ Association has been consistently opposed to one of the sanctuary laws, Senate Bill 54, which limits cooperation between state and federal authorities when minor crimes are involved.

We spoke with Sheriff Bill Brown of Santa Barbara County, who is president of the association and attended Mr. Sessions’s speech. (Our chat has been edited and condensed below.)

Q. On what grounds do you oppose SB 54?

A. We believe that it has a negative impact on public safety. And we believe that fundamentally it is wrong to limit communication between federal law enforcement agencies and law enforcement officers regardless of their jurisdiction.

Q. What does SB 54 restrict you from doing?

A. We want to make sure that we do not unnecessarily release people from custody who could otherwise be removed from the country if they are criminals, if they have a likelihood of reoffending or re-victimizing people in our communities.

Q. The law allows state law enforcement to communicate with federal immigration authorities in the case of serious crimes. You think the list of crimes isn’t broad enough?

A. That’s correct. For example, repeat drunk driving — you get someone who is arrested two or three times; domestic battery, assault on a peace officer; animal cruelty or abuse; serial theft — someone who has been arrested multiple times for shoplifting.

Q. You are also concerned about gang members.

A. If someone is in custody — and it could be for a minor offense — and if that person is a known member of a gang that is a criminal enterprise, like MS-13 for example, we see no reason why that person should be released back into the community. We should be able to contact ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] before releasing them.

(Please note: We regularly highlight articles on news sites that have limited access for nonsubscribers.)

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Alex Stamos, the chief information security officer for Facebook. He has urged more disclosure over Russian activity on Facebook.Credit...Steve Marcus/Reuters

Alex Stamos, Facebook’s chief information security officer, plans to leave the company by August. He had advocated more disclosure around Russian interference of the platform and some restructuring to better address the issues, but was met with resistance by colleagues. [The New York Times]

Uber suspended its testing of autonomous cars in San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Toronto after one of its cars struck and killed a woman on a street in Tempe, Ariz. It was believed to be the first pedestrian death associated with self-driving technology. [The New York Times]

• Families of mass shooting victims are joining the California state treasurer, John Chiang, in calling on the nation’s largest public pension fund to stop investing in companies that sell assault weapons and devices that allow guns to fire more rapidly. [Associated Press via The Sacramento Bee]

• With an atmospheric river poised to drench California, Santa Barbara County issued a mandatory evacuation order Monday affecting about 30,000 people, including the community of Montecito, where 21 people were killed by a massive mudslide in January. [KPCC]

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The Weinstein Company had been struggling after a co-founder, Harvey Weinstein, was fired as chief executive in October after women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades.Credit...Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press

• As part of its bankruptcy filing on Monday, the Weinstein Company said it released anyone “who suffered or witnessed any form of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein” from nondisclosure agreements. [The New York Times]

• The Southern California town of Los Alamitos appears to be in open revolt over the state’s sanctuary policies. The City Council voted Monday to exempt the town from Senate Bill 54, the law that limits cooperation between California law enforcement officials and federal immigration authorities. [Los Angeles Times]

Sacramento city officials are hoping to add more public bathrooms for use by the homeless, but there is disagreement on where they should be built. The director of a downtown public library says the library spends tens of thousands of dollars each year to clean urine and excrement outside the building. [Sacramento Bee]

• Four months after his death, Charles Manson was cremated and his ashes were scattered after a brief, private funeral in Porterville. [Associated Press via Washington Post]

• With opening day a little more than a week away, the Dodgers’ third baseman, Justin Turner, got hit by a pitch and broke his wrist Monday night. Turner batted .322 with 21 homers last season. [Associated Press via ESPN]

The legalization of marijuana has offered a journey of discovery for some in California. Or a ride through hell.

The Los Angeles Times columnist, Robin Abcarian, wrote a story Monday about a neighbor who had such a violent reaction to a marijuana edible that she began screaming loudly enough for Ms. Abcarian to investigate. Emergency services were summoned.

Ms. Abcarian goes on to warn about the potency of today’s marijuana products. She recommends micro-dosing and quotes the owner of a cannabis edibles company:

“You may feel like you are going to die, but you are not going to die — that’s not great marketing language.”

California Today goes live at 6 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes.com.

California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.

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