Tough Laws, Judges Vital, Wilson Says : Crime: Addressing D.A. gathering in Newport Beach, governor lauds court nominee, talks of ballot initiative should legislators rebuff him on tougher sentences.

Gov. Pete Wilson praised his new Supreme Court nominee Tuesday but said it will take stronger crime laws, not just tougher judges, to help make Californians feel safe from crime.

In a speech before the California District Attorney’s Assn., the governor lobbied for his new crime package, which includes tougher sentences for rapists and drug pushers who sell their goods to pregnant women and children.

The governor warned that if legislators don’t pass tougher crime laws, his supporters might petition the voters for a ballot initiative the way they did last year when Proposition 115, the crime victims’ bill of rights, was overwhelmingly passed.

“It may be that once again . . . we will be required to take to the streets, clipboard in hand, to give you (prosecutors) the tools to do your job,” the governor said.

On Monday, Wilson nominated former Hillside Strangler trial Judge Ronald M. George to the state Supreme Court, to succeed retiring Justice Allen E. Broussard. George is now sitting on the state Court of Appeal. Although the governor had been under pressure to appoint a minority to replace Broussard, who is black, he opted for a known conservative.

“We need judges who have the mental, physical and moral stamina . . . to insist that justice be done,” Wilson said. “Justice Ron George is that kind of judge.”

Wilson made note of George’s refusal to dismiss the charges during the Hillside Strangler case. The request had come from then-Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. John Van de Kamp, who later was Wilson’s opponent in the gubernatorial race.

“Ron George will strive to ensure swift and sure justice in California,” the governor said. “We know Ron George will do his job superbly. But the legislature must do its job.”

Orange County Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi, who was host for the annual gathering, praised the governor’s appointment of George, who must still be approved by the state Judicial Appointments Commission.

“He’s an outstanding choice,” Capizzi said. “He’s performed superbly at every rung of the ladder.”

Capizzi was also supportive of the governor’s threat to use the initiative process if the Legislature does not pass a tough crime bill in its next session.

“The Legislature has got to start being responsive to the needs of the people,” Capizzi said. “I wholeheartedly am behind the governor on this.”

Wilson’s crime package includes life sentences for drug dealers who sell to children and pregnant women, and an 18-year minimum sentence for sexual offenders, who can now receive as little as a three-year sentence, and then serve only 18 months of that. Wilson’s bill would also reduce the amount of time off an inmate can earn in prison. Currently, state inmates can receive either one-third or one-half off their time, based upon their conduct and work performance while serving their time.

“A rapist sentenced to six years shouldn’t be able to cut his term to three years because he’s done a good job folding shirts in the prison laundry,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s speech, in the plush surroundings of the Hyatt Newporter Hotel, was before a sympathetic audience. The state district attorney’s association and the governor had worked together last year to pass Proposition 115, designed to cut down the often lengthy waiting time between arrest and trial, a major complaint of crime victims.

On Tuesday, Wilson laid down a challenge for legislators to take quick action on his crime package when they return to work Aug. 19, and have it passed before they adjourn Sept. 13.

“I suspect some legislators will once again try to bury these proposals in a graveyard committee, acting as caretakers for the status quo,” Wilson said. “But the people demand an end to the climate of fear that makes California an uncivilized state.”