Tomorrow Lassen Superior Court will hear the arguments on the separation of powers issue in the ongoing litigation in the city of Susanville’s fight to keep the California Correctional Center open. Judge Moody has asked the city of Susanville and CDCR to prepare briefs on the Civil War era Supreme Court case, United States v. Klein, from 1871, where that decision emphasized the separation of power under the Constitution Congress had abused its authority. The relevance is about AB 200, which the state rewrote from prison closure criteria to the closure of CCC on June 30th of next year.
The debate, if lost by the city, can very well be the conclusion to the over year-long case. However, a glimmer of hope remains in the town. City representative Scott McLaren noted during the August 2nd hearing that the city had been aware of new information. McLaren said that a person of management at CDCR knows that a high-ranking CDCR staff member was involved in writing AB 200 during a July 1st “Budget Highlights” conference call. City Administrator Dan Newton filed a petition to support the city’s brief that may provide the proof needed to continue the fight.
The court proceeding is this Friday, August 26th, at 9 am at the Hall of Justice on Riverside Drive.
