Leylani Simmons, the Bay Area woman convicted in a 2011 drunk-driving crash in East Palo Alto that killed her passenger, has again been found suitable for parole. A panel at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla granted her parole for a second time on Friday, sending the recommendation to the governor’s office for final review.
Case background
Simmons, now 40, was convicted in 2014 of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter with intoxication, and felony evading in connection with the June 17, 2011, crash that killed 22-year-old Lorina Veamatahau. According to SFGATE, jurors found Simmons guilty after a nine-day trial, and a judge later handed down a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
Parole hearing and outcome
This week’s parole suitability hearing took place before a Board of Parole Hearings panel at the Central California Women’s Facility. The panel recommended Simmons’ release, KRON4 reports. The decision is another step in a lengthy process that now moves into administrative review and, ultimately, to the governor, who can choose to let the grant stand or overturn it.
Earlier board rulings
State records show this is not the first time Simmons has received a green light from the parole board. The Board of Parole Hearings’ January 2024 results list her with a "Grant" following a hearing that month. CDCR documents reflect that earlier decision.
Governor review and prison record
That earlier grant did not stick. Governor Gavin Newsom stepped in and reversed the parole decision, citing Simmons’ conduct while in custody, according to KRON4. The reporting notes that Newsom pointed to disciplinary incidents that included fighting and an in-prison battery conviction for scratching correctional staff, and he urged that Simmons continue programming to reduce the risk of substance-use relapse.
What comes next
A parole "Grant" is only the start of the endgame. Under state rules, it is subject to administrative review and possible reversal by the governor’s office. As outlined by the Board of Parole Hearings, the grant first goes to the board’s legal division, then on to the Governor’s Office before it becomes final, and both victims and prosecutors can weigh in along the way. Board of Parole Hearings materials describe those procedural steps in detail.
