In Re Roy Butler on Habeas Corpus.

Summary

The court held that substantial changes to California's parole statutes materially undermined the assumptions underlying a settlement injunction requiring the Board of Parole Hearings to calculate base terms, so the injunction had to be modified. It further held that base-term calculations are not constitutionally required to prevent disproportionate punishment under the current, mostly determinate sentencing regime. The court reversed the Court of Appeal and relieved the Board of its base-term calculation obligations.