Early Impacts of Proposition 47 on the Courts

Proposition 47, passed by California voters in November 2014, reclassified certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors and allowed for resentencing or reclassification for those already convicted or serving sentences for these offenses. By the end of 2015, California courts had received over 200,000 petitions for resentencing or reclassification, significantly impacting court operations by increasing workload and complexity in case processing. While the initiative aimed to focus resources on more serious crimes and reduce prison spending, the immediate effects included a shift in court resources, an increase in misdemeanor filings, and varied impacts on felony case processing across the state.