Unjustly accused, convicted and incarcerated, even as he seeks an appeal, 81 year old former councilman Louis Byrd is still unjustly held behind bars. He is not a "flight risk" as the prosecutors so deem him, and he has known health issues. Many in the legal community are shocked that Mr. Byrd has spent approximately eight months behind bars, with much of the time confined to a cell, even as he fights for an appeal. Governor Jerry Brown has been under a mandate to reduce the California prison population, especially where inmates pose no threat to society and or have spent time incarcerated. There is also a recent study admonishing the penal system for not using "compassionate" release protocols, for inmates who are in ill health, aged and not necessarily in imminent danger of death.