Santa Barbara 3 Strikes Lawyer
3 Strikes Law
Three strikes is a sentencing law in California that dramatically increases punishment for people that are repeat offenders. A strike is a prior conviction for a serious or violent felony. If you are facing criminal charges that could result in a third strike, contact a Santa Barbara criminal defense lawyer immediately for assistance with your case. A conviction in a 3 Strikes case could result in you spending the rest of your life in jail. A competent criminal defense attorney can work to get one of the strikes dismissed, or the current charged reduced to a misdemeanor offense to prevent 3 Strikes sentencing.
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According to the 3 Strikes law, a person who commits any felony that has two or more prior strikes must be sentenced to at least 25-years-to-life in state prison. Someone who commits any felony with one prior strike must be sentenced to a doubled term on the current felony. The current felony does not have to be a serious or violent felony, only the prior convictions.
These cases are also unique in their reduction of good behavior credits. An individual who commits a felony with one prior strike must serve at least 80% of their sentence in prison, and good behavior credits cannot exceed one-fifth of their total prison term. In non-strike cases, up to 50% of the sentence may be reduced because of good behavior credits.
Violent or serious felonies considered "strikes" include:
- Murder
- Rape
- Robbery
- The use of a deadly weapon in a felony
- Inflicting great bodily injury while committing a felony
- Kidnapping
If you have been charged with a serious or violent felony and are facing 3 Strikes sentencing, I can provide the experienced legal representation you will need in court. My name is Adam L. Pearlman and I worked as a District Attorney for 9 years prosecuting hundreds of people charged with a criminal offense, including many 3 Strike cases. I know the tactics the prosecution will use in your case when seeking a conviction, and can build an aggressive defense to help prevent a guilty verdict.
Contact a Santa Barbara 3 Strikes Attorney at my office if you have committed a crime and are facing sentencing under the 3 Strikes law.