The man who kidnapped and killed Petaluma resident Polly Klaas in the 1990s wants his death sentence overturned. Prosecutors say Richard Allen Davis is citing a criminal justice reform law.
The law was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021 and took effect in 2022. It invalidates sentencing enhancements for prior convictions involving certain nonviolent felonies and drug matters.
However, Davis is trying to apply the law to his entire sentence, a move which prosecutors call “nonsensical” in official court filings.
In 1996, Davis was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and eight other counts.