INNOVATIVE PUBLIC SAFETY TOOLS CREATED OR ENHANCED:

• VICTIM’S RIGHTS WEEK held every April to pay tribute to crime victims and survivors by holding multiple events throughout the county

• VICTIM RIGHTS PROJECT implemented to ensure all victim and witness rights are safeguarded
• GANG INJUNCTIONS turned gang’s territory into a safety zone where mere gang association is a crime
• CALIFORNIA GANG SUMMIT training provided an opportunity to share important proactive gang suppression strategies
• MOST WANTED FUGITIVES identifies violent fugitives and provides the community and media with information on a weekly basis
• COLLEGE ACADEMY internship program for potential law students, paralegals, and victim advocates
• CITIZENS ACADEMY educates participants about the criminal justice system and answers questions regarding the administration of justice
• SEXUAL ASSAULT FELONY ENFORCEMENT TEAM (SAFE) identifies, monitors, and enforces registration requirements for sexual offenders
• GANG TASK FORCE combines countywide law enforcement resources to prevent, intervene, and suppress gang activity in our community
• COLD HIT UNIT re -opens old, serious unsolved crimes and matches the “hit” to the perpetrator thanks to new technology and a DNA “hit”
• PRISON CRIMES UNIT improves the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed in prisons
• DEATH PENALTY REFORM LEGISLATION to expedite capital cases and shorten unnecessary delays
• FEDERAL AGREEMENT TO PROSECUTE AND DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBERS
• FEDERAL LAWSUIT TO PREVENT THE EARLY RELEASE OF PRISONERS
• STRIKE FORCE JUDGES to relieve court case backlog
• EXECUTIVE DIVISION created to better serve the community
• K-12 SCHOOL CRIMES GUIDE provided to educators and school districts
• IN-DEPTH EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS:

• Top 100 Influential Lawyers In California by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals (2007)
• District Attorney of the Year by the Doris Tate Crime Victims Foundation (2007)
• Senior Fellow of the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research (2003)

CURRENTLY SERVES ON:

• California District Attorneys Association Capital Litigation Committee, Chairman
• La Sierra University Foundation, Board of Directors
• Shelter from the Storm, Board of Directors
• The Barbara Sinatra Children's Foundation, Board of Directors
• The Community Foundation, Board of Directors
• The Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee, Board of Directors

• Wrote Proposition 222 which California voters passed overwhelmingly in 1998. 

- Prop 222 significantly increased penalties for individuals who murder peace officers, and guaranteed they would never be eligible for parole.

• Succeeded in getting over 50 separate pieces of legislation signed into law that he authored or co-authored.
• CAL GRANTS (SB 1644) Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Act of 2000.
• Provides funds to those who have demonstrated academic promise with financial need.  In 1999, there were approximately 78,000 children who did not receive a Cal Grant, even though they qualified, due to inadequate funding.  Now, for the first time, all children in California who qualify will receive a Cal Grant.
• Served as the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee and served on the Assembly Judiciary, Assembly Education and the Assembly Budget Committees.
•  First Hispanic Republican elected to State Legislature in over 100 years.
• First term served as Vice Chairman of Assembly Republican Caucus.
• First Hispanic ever selected as Leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus.

LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS:

• Alumni Association of the University of California
• California Building Officials/B.T. Collins Memorial Award
• California County Boards of Education
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• California School Boards Association
• California State Student Association
• Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Riverside County
• Crime Victim's United of California
• Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine
• Independently Merging Parent Associations of California Together
• Inland Empire Hispanic Image Awards
• Riverside Sheriff's Association

LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP AWARDS:

• Leadership Award, Tri-County Republican Association
• Rising Star in Politics Eagle Award, Hispanic Heritage Leadership Conference

BOARDS SERVED AS LEGISLATOR:
University of California at Riverside Friends of Education Board Member
Fender Museum of Music and the Arts Board Member
Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau Board of Directors Honorary Member
Kidsafe Board of Directors Honorary Member

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