[Nfbc-info] Correspondence from District Attorney on Diane Starin prosecution

[Bryan Bashin]

Fellow Californians,

I wanted to share with you some recent 
correspondence I've had from our City Council 
member, Steve Cohn and his communication from the 
Sacramento County district Attorney.  From the 
tenor of this communication I feel well satisfied 
that we've done our job to get this awful act the 
prosecutorial attention it deserves.

Sincerely,

Bryan Bashin

RECEIVED
MAYOR/COUNCIL OFFICE
CITY OF SACRAMENTO
OFFICE OF THE
OCT 062009
DISTRICT ATTO·RNEY
SACRAMENTO COUNTY
CYNTHIA G. BESEMER
JAN SCULLY
CHIEF DEPUTY
DISTRICT AHORNEY
September 30, 2009
Steve Cohn
Councilmember, District Three
City Hall -Fifth Floor
9151 Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-2604
RE: Diane Starin
Dear Councilman Cohn:
In reference to your letter dated September 8, 
2009, 1assure you we take the victimization
of all members
of our community very seriously and do everything 
within our power to guarantee that
the perpetrator is
appropriately punished.and the ~ommunity is safer for all residents.
Specifically, Joseph Webb, the person who is 
charged with assaulting Ms. Starin,
has been charged with a
violation of Penal Code § 368(b)(l) (inflicting 
unjustifiable physical pain or mental
suffering upon a
dependent adult), and an accompanying allegation 
pursuant to Penal Code § 12022.7
(infliction of great
bodily injury). In combination with charges 
alleging vandalism and witness intimidation
the defendant is
facing a prison term of approximately 8 years. 
Ms. Starin's case has been assigned
to an experienced
special team prosecutor who will handle the case 
from beginning to the final disposition
and insure justice
is served.
It is our intent that the defendant be 
incarcerated for a significant period of time,
thus insuring the safety
of our entire community.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, 
I can be contacted at (916) 874-6649.
Sincerely,
JAN SCULLY
~ .;\~
JEFF L. ROSE
DI~R
;r K~~:rE:
Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney
P.O.
Box 749 • 901 G Street • Sacramento, California 95814
(916)
874-6218 FAX (916) 874-5340
.-'
OFFICE OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO
CI1Y COUNCIL
CALlFOR.~
STEVE COIL'!
September 8,2009
COUNCIL'vIE,\!BER
DISTRICT THREE
Jan Scully
Sacramento
County
District
Attorney
901 G Street
Sacramento,
CA 95841
Dear Jan:
I am writing to ask your office to prosecute to 
the fullest extent of the law and
note the special circumstances involved in the savage attack on a blind woman,
Ms. Diane Starin on August 29,2009, as she waited for a bus at a bus stop. Ms.
Starin is a long-time educator for the Sacramento Society for the Blind. She
teaches blind Sacra men tans to live life with 
confidence and to feel safe in our
community. I ask you to invoke special enhancements provisions because the
victim here was targeted due to her disability.
Although she herself is blind, Ms. Starin lives 
her life to the fullest. She is a
role
model to all, and reminds us all that each and 
every life is precious. The brutal
attack on Ms. Starin is heinous and must not be allowed to instill fear in the
entire disability community, particularlv as they wait for transit. As
Councilmember of District 3 and Chair of Regional 
Transit, I urge your office to
make this prosecu tion h~gh priori ty.
Please contact my Office at 916-808-7003, if you 
would like to schedule a meeting
or have any follow up questions on this matter.
Sincere(v .
"
£, , J'~ /
~tl& ~/"5TEVE COHN
2009107/ PAL
CITY HALL -FIFTH FLOOR
915 1 STREET. SACRA ..\IE:--iTO. CA 95814-2604
PH 916-808-7003 • FA.X 916-264-7680 • scohn1!icityofsacr3.mento.org