Stanislaus News

Today, Assemblymember Juan Alanis announced the advancement of his first bill for the 2025-26 legislative cycle. The bill, AB 387, successfully passed the Assembly Floor with a unanimous vote of 67-0.

AB 387 aims to exempt probation officers from participating in jury selection for criminal cases. Assemblyman Alanis emphasized the importance of this exemption by stating, “The success of individuals on probation is directly tied to the effectiveness of probation officers. Pulling them away from their duties impacts their ability to effectively manage critical services for probationers.”

Probation officers play a crucial role as direct "arms of the court," closely working with judicial systems to enforce court orders and supervise individuals on probation. Their responsibilities also include conducting pre-sentence investigations, testifying in court, and providing counseling and post-trial rehabilitation.

Alanis further commented on the necessity of this exemption: “If any member of our law enforcement community should be exempt, it should be probation officers.” He expressed gratitude towards his colleagues for their bipartisan support, describing the proposal as commonsense.

The bill has garnered support from both law enforcement groups and criminal justice reform organizations. It was previously approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee through a bipartisan vote. AB 387 will now proceed to the State Senate for further consideration.

Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents California's 22nd Assembly District, covering areas such as Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson & Empire.