California Criminal Defense Lawyers

In an unusual case, an Orange County man convicted of fraud was sentenced under the Three Strikes Law recently, possibly sending him to prison for the rest of his life. Timothy Barnett was convicted of tricking vulnerable home owners into signing over the property to him in an effort to prevent foreclosure. According to the LA Times, his criminal record included two previous burglary charges, qualifying him for Three Strikes sentencing. [Read More...]

Last week in the San Francisco Gate there was an article on the little talked about second strike of the three strikes law in California. It seems this tenet of the law has been lost in the shadows of the life sentence a third strike potentially carries. While people are discussing reforming this law, not much of the argument is spent on the fact that more people are serving longer sentences for a second strike offense than a third strike offense—something that advocates of reform say must change. [Read More...]

A survey from the LA Times and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences this week reveals Californians are more concerned about the troubled financial times than they are about releasing some offenders from prison. The survey showed most would rather see prison sentences be relaxed than spend any more money on incarceration. [Read More...]

It could be wishful thinking, but many people opposed to the harsh Three Strikes Law are hoping the latest U.S. Supreme Court ruling will push lawmakers to repeal the notorious sentencing legislation. The state of California has been ordered to cut their prison population by 33,000 and while many wonder just how the state will comply with the order, some are crossing their fingers that the order will spur some major sentencing reform. [Read More...]

A man who is no stranger to the courts or to prison may be facing a life sentence for a felony other defendants have committed as a prank. Shining a laser at an aircraft in flight is a felony charge and when added to a list of past convictions, it could just be the straw that broke the camels back for this San Jose man. [Read More...]

Three strikes and you’re out! This saying took on a whole new meaning within California in the 1990’s. It went from something you would only hear at a baseball game to terms used to describe criminal sentencing and essentially locking people up and throwing away the key.  Passed in 1994 by the legislature and the people of California, the Three Strikes Law has done more to increase spending and controversy than it has to reduce crime. [Read More...]

The Los Angeles Times reports that a may accused of felony fraud may be the first white collar criminal to face life in prison under California’s controversial three strikes law. [Read More...]

Gregory Taylor has been in prison since 1997 for trying to get some food. He was homeless at the time and had a criminal record. Today Taylor is free—thanks largely in part to two Stanford students who worked to have him released. [Read More...]

California’s three strikes laws have been extremely controversial, often punishing people harshly and out of proportion for an offense or mistake that seems relatively minor. But some cases, like a recent conviction for a DUI murder, by a career criminal is not likely to  be one of those controversial cases. [Read More...]

A Woodland man was sentenced to 7 years and eight months behind bars for stealing a bag of shredded cheese and swiping a woman’s wallet from a store counter. Petty theft, both charges, but the seemingly harsh sentence is far less than what the prosecution was originally seeking. [Read More...]