RON FREITAS
District Attorney
Office of the District Attorney
Protecting our community for 175 Years
Protecting our community for 175 Years
For Immediate Release
Breaking News
February 4, 2025
San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office Announces Historic Sentence in Lonnie Smith Case
Lonnie Smith, 72, from Anderson, California, has been sentenced to 450 years to life plus two counts of Life Without Parole (LWOP) by Judge Mallett in Department 6D. This monumental sentence comes after Smith was convicted on eight counts of various child molestation charges from multiple jurisdictions. The charges involved child molestation of three separate victims, all of whom were under the age of 13 at the time the crimes were committed.
The District Attorney's Office considered Smith a serial child molester, having served two previous prison terms for lewd acts with a minor in 1983 and again in 1988. Three victims from these earlier cases were allowed to testify in court about the previous abuse, and we commend them for their courage. Sentencing laws in the 1980s were much less stringent than today's laws, which now allow for life without parole. With this sentence, the public is finally protected from this repeat offender.
District Attorney Ron Freitas on the outcome, "This sentence is a thundering verdict against evil. We have not just closed a case; we've fortified our community against predators. Let this be known: in San Joaquin County, we do not merely pursue justice, we enforce it with unrelenting vigor."
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges Judge Mallett for his unwavering judgment, the jury for their service, the Stockton Police Department for their thorough investigation, and Deputy District Attorney Carrie Lawrence for her fierce prosecution.
Ron Freitas
District Attorney, San Joaquin County
— Protecting Our Community Since 1850