How The Three Strike Rule In California Can be Overturned
Published by Fred at November 3rd, 2009Being accused of a felony is a serious problem in the state of California. After all, once you receive three of them you are on grounds for serving a long prison term and facing severe penalties. Even if you can’t afford an attorney, finding a way to do so is important because of the critical penalties at stake.
The three strike law will quickly put anyone convicted of three felonies behind bars for a life term. A life term seems unreasonable for someone who has not been convicted of violent crimes, and for those that are innocent, it is just absurd. A criminal defense attorney will look into your case and try to prove your point, and hopefully if things go well you can avoid serving a lifetime in jail.
Do your research before even contacting a criminal defense attorney. There are plenty out there with no experience, or with only enough experience to account for several cases. If you are dealing with the act of going to jail for a life sentence, you should only call attorneys that have had an impressive list of cases that have been won.
If you are pleased with what you see with an attorney, you should ask to see previous cases in which might be relevant to your case. Even though there are many who have used attorneys to combat the three strikes rule, only a handful may be relevant to the case you are facing. If a lawyer has dealt with a similar case before, he or she is a good candidate.
An attorney will sometimes try to manipulate his or her way into getting you to agree to using them in the court room. They may try to make it appear that they are the only option or try to scare you into making an impulse decision. The three strikes law is indeed a scary law to face, but you should still look at several attorneys regardless. That way you will know which one is best for you, and which ones are just out to make money.
Even if you don’t think you have a chance to overturn the three strike rule, put money towards an attorney regardless. There have been instances where felonies that were not considered violent have been allowed to be reduced, and instead of serving a life term the client will serve a lesser term in jail or pay fines. It’s a nice trade-off that you won’t regret once you get out of jail.
Closing Comments
California doesn’t shed any ounce of hope for repeat offenders. If you are a repeat offender, you absolutely need to go see an attorney. He or she will know how to argue your case and hopefully get you off the charges so you can go back to your family.
Learn more about Ventura Criminal Defense Lawyer and Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.