Three Strikes Law | Orange County Criminal Defense Blog

For over two decades, California’s criminal justice system has used the Three Strikes Law to extend the sentencing of defendants. Despite multiple debates and arguments against habitual offense laws, this law is commonplace in criminal trials and can easily impact your future if an Orange County court convicts you of a serious or violent felony.

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Compton, CA — Ever since it was first adopted in this state, the Three Strikes Law has been controversial. While many support longer sentences for repeat criminal offenders, others argue that the law is overly harsh and leads to lifelong prison sentences for relatively minor third offenses. Repeat offenders often face harsher treatment before and during trial as well, and may be denied bail.

On Monday, Marion “Suge” Knight, 49, was charged with murder, attempted murder, and hit-and-run after he allegedly ran over two men with his car on Thursday in Compton, killing one and injuring another. Knight, the co-founder of the hip-hop record label Death Row Records, was on the set of the film Straight Outta Compton, which chronicles the early career of the influential rap group NWA, when he allegedly got into an altercation with Terry Carter and Cle “Bone” Sloan and drove away, striking the men with his vehicle. The next day he turned himself into the authorities and was released on more than $2 million bail after being booked on suspicion of hit-and-run.

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San Francisco, CA – Just like the United States Supreme Court is the final arbiter on issues of federal and constitutional law throughout the country, each state has its own supreme court that passes judgment on state statutes. The California Supreme Court is located in San Francisco and on Thursday issued a ruling that will have a major impact on sentencing in felony cases statewide.

Ever since voters passed the so-called “three-strikes” law in 1994, criminal defendants with multiple felony convictions have faced harsher penalties, up to and including life in prison for their third conviction on felony charges. On paper it seems simple enough, but in practice it often means that defendants with a criminal record can receive a life sentence for a comparatively minor offense like robbery.

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