Heather Bowlds

The Board of Parole Hearings conducted an en banc review of various parole cases. Key actions included the denial of parole for Linda Ricchio, the decision to vacate and schedule new hearings for David Dew and Shawn Hern, and the affirmation of parole grants for Peter Bergne, Wilver Gomez, Arthur Klein, Julio Taramona, and Kelly Wolfe. Additionally, the Board referred cases for rescission hearings for Ryan Bernal, Gregory Vogelsang, and Paul Whitehead to evaluate the validity of prior parole grants. Special conditions of parole were also imposed in the case of Kelly Wolfe.

The Board of Parole Hearings conducted en banc reviews for several cases. Decisions included granting parole for Ernesto Gonzalez, vacating prior parole grants for Ronald Weaver, Joseph Flores, Gerardo Romero, and Allan Krenitzky due to errors of law or insufficient programming, and ordering new hearings for these individuals. The Board also ordered rescission hearings for David Nichols, Teodolo Bermudes, Horacio Florescastro, and Tyrel Martin based on Governor referrals or new information. Finally, the Board affirmed previous decisions to grant parole for Juan Salazar and Robert Villalobos.

The Executive Board Meeting covered the approval of the consent calendar, which included the draft minutes of the January 2026 Executive Board Meeting and the Parole Consideration Hearings and Backlog Report for February 2026. Reports included updates from the Executive Officer regarding engagement at the Central California Women's Facility; the Chief Counsel concerning the filing of an opening brief in the CJLF litigation and amendments to commutation and resentencing regulations; the Chief Psychologist on participation in an event at USC School of Law regarding the CRA process; the Chief Deputy of Investigations and Reentry Screening Division announcing new Parole Agent IIIs; and the Manager of the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services detailing efforts to secure language access for victim impact statements and noting technical difficulties with their call center. The meeting also included several en banc referrals under various Penal Code sections and California Code of Regulations subsections for cases such as ROBINSON, BROWN, ALVAREZ-MURGA, BARRIENTOS, BATH, FUNSTON, GRANADOS, JONES, NOWLING, NAVARRO, NELSON, CRESCI, GUTIERREZ, HAYNES, HAYTHORNE, MARTINEZ, MCMURPHY, SANTOYO, and SCHOPPE-RICO. Public comments addressed concerns regarding the evidentiary basis for higher risk ratings in comprehensive risk assessments, the importance of acknowledging self-help program achievements, and advocacy for incarcerated persons with mental health concerns.

The Board of Parole Hearings convened to address several cases, focusing on parole suitability and potential resentencing. Key actions included denying parole for Edward Brown due to concerns about public safety, and recommending to the Governor that pardons be granted for Reginold Daniels, Jeffrey Foy, and Sandra Johnson. Additionally, the Board recommended sentence commutations for Mario Magallon and Kevin Schrubb. Decisions to grant parole in previous hearings for Demetrius Franklin, Heverd Gutierrez, and Demetrius Johnson were vacated based on new confidential information, leading to the scheduling of new hearings. The board also considered rescission hearings and affirmed prior parole grants for multiple individuals, sometimes with additional special conditions.

The Board reviewed several cases, making recommendations to the Governor for pardon or commutation of sentence. The board also considered vacating or affirming prior panel decisions regarding parole based on new information or errors of law. Special conditions of parole were imposed in certain cases, such as participation in a certified Batterer's Program or restrictions related to marijuana use.