by TChris

Pamela Martinez was given a life sentence under California's three-strikes law for stealing a toolbox. Fortunately, her conviction was overturned on appeal. She entered into a plea bargain that resulted in a nine year sentence and was released after serving five. In the two-and-a-half years since her release, Martinez has become a dependable employee and a responsible citizen. Now, having realized that it mistakenly released Martinez about two months early, California's prison system wants her back.

The ACLU justly criticizes the state for spending $2 million just to "derail her hard-won successes." Martinez says her crimes were caused by a drug addiction that she's placed behind her. Now that she's finally gotten her life together, California wants to tear it apart.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves credit for recognizing that this act of bureaucratic lunacy will not benefit the state. After the state supreme court upheld Martinez' return to prison, Gov. Schwarzenegger wrote to the court with a formal request to commute the remainder of Martinez' sentence. The court will consider the request after it reviews a report from the state Board of Prison Terms. In the meantime, Martinez hopes that a superior court judge will stay her return to prison (now scheduled for Tuesday) while the supreme court makes its decision.