The fate of the California Correctional Center is in court today as the City of Susanville and CDCR present arguments in the ongoing lawsuit filed by the City of Susanville against CDCR. Judge Moody will hear both sides debate on the application of the Civil War era case, United States v. Klein, where the US Supreme Court ruled Congress may not remove jurisdiction from a court and direct it on how to decide a case, referencing the June trailer bill attached to the State’s Budget that removes prison closure criteria to the closure of CCC as June 30th of next year. The act, which judge Moody has said, delivers a bombshell to this case during the August 2nd proceeding.
Hundreds of CCC staff and HDSP employees’ jobs and positions hang in the balance depending on which way today’s decision falls. Judge Moody has said if the favor goes to the state, “the new statute is fully operative,” and will close CCC. The closure of CCC will force CCC employees to relocate or have the option to move over to their neighbor, HDSP, forcing some HDSP employees to demote from their current ranking due to seniority rules.
Yet, the city of Susanville is holding hope to prove that a high-ranking CDCR staff member was a part of writing the trailer bill that would show CDCR violated the temporary restraining order that prohibits the department’s involvement in proceeding with any closure activities of the prison while the case is still in the courts. Proceedings are at 9 am at the Lassen Superior Courthouse.
