Families protest Prop 57, seek justice for juvenile crimes

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — If you drove by River Park Saturday, you probably saw a large group of people at the intersection of Blackstone and Nees Avenues. Folks were peacefully protesting to fix Prop 57.

“We haven’t got justice for our loved ones,” Lorenso Sanchez’s mom Julia Sanchez said.

“You can murder someone, go away for seven years and not have a felony on your record,” Caleb Quick’s dad Stephen Quick said.

Families and friends of Caleb Quick and Lorenso Sanchez, standing side by side in the fight to fix Prop 57. Both Caleb and Lorenso were killed this year. The suspects are minors.

“If they aren’t tried as an adult, they’re going to be out in seven years at the age of 25. And that is not right. That is not fair, especially to the victims’ families,” protestor Franceen Holden said.

“It’s disheartening. It’s a bigger issue than just me. And, like, I never knew about this issue until my son was assassinated,” Quick said.

Caleb Quick’s dad was out protesting with his family.

“I’ve been to Sacramento, knocked on doors and tried to get a consensus on changing this because, you know, rewarding this behavior is essentially what they’re doing,” Quick said.

And Caleb’s friends were also out protesting.

“Caleb was like my older brother. He never deserved this. None of these victims did,” Caleb Quick’s friend Kaycee Holden said.

Quick said California lawmakers have left grieving families without justice. Although some juveniles are tried as adults, Quick says the process drags.

“It’s been six months now and I’m meeting people that it takes two or three years to go through the juvenile court just to make a decision if they’re going to be tried as adults, or are going to stay in the juvenile court,” Quick said.

Lorenso Sanchez’s mom is also in favor of an overhaul to Prop 57.

“The person that murdered my son, he’s 15 and he’s only going to get five years. And with good behavior, he’ll get less. And all of us out here, we are using our voices for the victims of our kids that never got justice,” Sanchez said.

This is her sixth protest in opposition of the proposition. She wants state leaders to know she and many other families won’t stop fighting for their loved ones.

“He’s a person that’s worth fighting for. And I know my son wouldn’t have quit, and Lorenzo was an amazing person and I’m going to fight until I get what I want. I want justice,” Sanchez said.