In the last few years, California voters have approved ballot measures that relaxed "three strikes" sentencing laws and reduced penalties for drug possession and other nonviolent crimes.
Officials acknowledge that the "two strikes" sentence is being introduced at a time when the number of adults being sentenced for possession of a knife or an offensive weapon has fallen by 60% since 2008.
Against this backdrop, we consider Ewing's claim that his three-strikes sentence of 25 years to life is unconstitutionally disproportionate to his offense of "shoplifting three golf clubs".
A8 '3 Strikes' Sentence Is Voided A three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in San Francisco, voting 2 to 1, threw out as unconstitutionally harsh a shoplifter's 50-year prison sentence under California's "three-strikes" law, raising the possibility of hundreds of other challenges.
Two main changes made to the law were that the third strike needed to be a serious or violent felony and that those currently serving a third-strike sentence could petition the court for reduction of their term to a second-strike sentence — if they would have been eligible for second-strike sentencing under the new law.
The informant is facing a possible three-strike sentence for drug, street terrorism and weapons charges dating back to 2006.
This entry records the decision of a quarterly conference meeting held September 25, 1878 to strike a sentence in J.W. Steele's previous entry from the record.
Mentions a minor domestic violence case that was brought before him; he ordered the husband imprisoned for 20 years, but then struck the sentence.
In 2003, Pregerson refused to follow a Supreme Court ruling that upheld California's stringent three-strikes sentencing law.
Under California's unique three-strikes sentencing scheme, additional crimes become felonies even if they are minor misdemeanors.
He balked at imposing California's three-strikes sentencing law when the third offense, making imprisonment mandatory, was relatively minor.
