Andrew Luster, convicted rapist, and Max Factor heir is poised for early release after serving only half of his 50-year sentence.
Daily Mail Online reported that Luster, 60, has been granted parole and is expected to walk free from Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, California, in the coming months.
This development has sparked outrage from one of his victims, who criticizes a reform law authored by Vice President Kamala Harris. Luster's early release is made possible by Proposition 57, a criminal law amendment written by Harris during her tenure as California's Attorney General. The proposition allows offenders deemed non-violent to receive automatic parole after serving half their sentence.
Tonja Balden, 51, who was drugged and raped by Luster in 1996, expressed her fears and disappointment regarding his impending release. Speaking to Daily Mail, Balden voiced concerns about Luster potentially reoffending upon release.
Balden, who was 23 at the time of the assault, discovered the truth about her attack four years later when police showed her a video of Luster raping her while she was unconscious. The traumatic experience has left a lasting impact on her life.
She criticized the reclassification of drugging and raping an unconscious person as a "non-violent" crime under Proposition 57, calling it "disappointing" and expressing hurt over Harris's involvement in the law's creation.
Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics magnate Max Factor Sr., was initially sentenced to 124 years in prison in 2003 for 86 counts of drugging and raping unconscious women. His sentence was later reduced to 50 years on appeal in 2013.
The case gained notoriety when Luster fled to Mexico during his trial, only to be captured by bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman. Upon his return, authorities found a camera and tripod in his hotel room, suggesting he might have continued his criminal activities if not apprehended.
Balden supported the reduction of Luster's sentence to 50 years, believing he would serve the full term. However, the passage of Proposition 57 in 2016 changed the classification of his crimes to non-violent, making him eligible for early release.
In response to the situation, Balden has thrown her support behind a new California Senate bill, SB268, introduced by Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil. The proposed legislation aims to reclassify the rape of an unconscious person as a violent crime, which would remove the right to early release for such offenders.
The bill, which has bipartisan support, is currently awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature. Balden urges the governor to sign the bill, emphasizing the importance of keeping truly violent criminals incarcerated.
She expressed gratitude for Senator Alvarado-Gil's efforts and hopes that the passage of this bill will bring some positive change from her traumatic experience.
Andrew Luster is set to be released from Valley State Prison after serving 21 years of his sentence. His early release, made possible by Proposition 57, has reignited debates about criminal justice reform and victim rights. The case highlights ongoing challenges in balancing prison reform with public safety concerns and the need for careful consideration of how crimes are classified in the legal system.
