Los Angeles Three Strikes Lawyers
Southern California 3 Strikes Attorneys
Sentencing Under Three Strikes
A defendant who commits a felony with two or more prior strikes, must be sentenced to at least 25-years-to-life in State Prison.
A defendant who commits any felony with one strike prior must be sentenced to a doubled term on the current felony.
The current felony does not have to be a serious or violent felony. It is where the prior convictions are serious or violent felonies that the 3-Strikes law comes into effect.
Unique in Three Strikes cases is the reduction in good behavior credits. A defendant who commits a felony with one strike prior must serve at least 80% of their sentence in prison; good behavior credits cannot exceed one-fifth of the total prison term. Compared to non-strike cases, which up to 50% of the sentence may be reduced because of good behavior credits.
What is a Strike?
A strike is a prior conviction of a serious or violent felony. They are listed in the California Penal Code. Serious felonies are listed at Penal Code Section 1192.7 (c), while violent felonies are listed at Penal Code Section 667.5 (c).
The Three Strikes law went into effect on March 7, 1994 in California, which means that the current felony must have occurred after the effective date to trigger three Strikes sentencing. Prior strike convictions could have occurred at any time. This means that prior convictions before March 7, 1994 still count as strikes.
Have you been charged with a Third Strike?
If so, you should speak with a knowledgeable Los Angeles Criminal Defense attorney. Your initial case evalutaion is free, and during your free case evaluation, we will inform you of your rights and advise you of your legal options. Diamond, Burt & Akhkashian can provide you will affordable, reliable legal counsel.
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