From the archives

The California Department of Corrections wanted to combine its Redwood City and Daly City offices in a building at 2020 Pioneer Court, near 20th Avenue. The office would have up to 36 staff members and service between 1,000 and 1,300 parolees.

"We are dismayed that parole did not do their homework on this one. All they need to do is walk down 20th Avenue any day at 3 o’clock to see that this is a route for a high school and it’s near two other schools and day care facilities,” said San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer.

Each parole agent carries a case load of 50 to 52 parolees who are required to make an initial appearance at the office and come in periodically, said Shirley Poe, regional parole administrator for the Department of Corrections.

Unions vote to authorize BART strike

Three unions representing about 2,700 Bay Area Rapid Transit workers voted overwhelmingly the week of June 25, 2005 to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a possible walkout when their contracts expired June 30.

More than 90 percent of the voting members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 790; the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1555; and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3993, voted to authorize a strike, said Harold Brown, the president of the ATU local.

BART, which faceds a $23.9 million deficit, had already raised fares and approved the elimination of 115 jobs.

Deputies cleared in pepper spray death

District Attorney Jim Fox the week of June 25, 2005 cleared five sheriff’s deputies — including two who refused to speak on their own behalf — of wrongdoing in the March 2005 death of 36-year-old Fernando Cazares.

The official cause of Cazares’ death is "cardiopulmonary arrest due to cocaine-associated excited delirium,” exaggerated by the struggle, pepper-spray inhalation and forcible restraints in a prone position, according to pathologist Dr. Peter Benson

After his death, some witnesses claimed Cazares was beaten repeatedly with heavy flashlights even when he was no longer struggling. Those same witnesses softened their recollections during later interviews and the autopsy showed no head injuries or brain swelling consistent with the repeated strikes neighbors recalled.

The three deputies — Deputy Mark Cody, Deputy Lisandro Lopez and Sgt. Greg Pitlock — who spoke with Fox’s investigators received letters absolving them of responsibility in the March 15 incident. The other two, Jason Peardon and Josh Chilton, will not be prosecuted but are not receiving the letters of commendation Fox forwarded Monday to the Sheriff’s Office, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Grand jury knocks drug proposition

A San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report chided the Proposition 36 the week of June 25, 2005 for overburdening courts and the Probation Department. Rather than save hundreds of millions of dollars annually by diverting drug offenders into treatment, the law does not give judges or law enforcement any leeway to punish those who do not comply, the report found.

"Proposition 36 has been singularly unsuccessful in meeting its goals of reducing crime, saving the county money and helping people stop using drugs,” the report stated.

From the archives highlights stories originally printed five years ago this week. It appears in the Thursday edition of the Daily Journal.