People are often surprised to find themselves facing unusually serious penalties thanks to California's Three Strikes law. There may be no relation between the crimes and the earlier strikes may have occurred many years ago, but that may not stop the prosecutor from trying to use three strikes against you. For example, you may have been convicted on two burglary charges simultaneously many years ago, and now you have been accused of a drug crime. While California's Three Strikes law is complex, there are ways to fight it.
At the Law Offices of Valencia, Ippolito & Bowman, our lawyers bring more than 65 years of combined experience to these cases. Our team includes the attorney who tried the very first three strikes case in Santa Clara County. Why would you trust your or a loved one's future to a less experienced lawyer?
Our law firm has won numerous awards, including being named Criminal Defense Firm of the Year by San Jose Magazine.
Strategies to Defend Against California's Three Strikes Law
California's Three Strikes law requires the doubling of a prison sentence if a person is convicted of a new felony and has one strike. It requires a life sentence if the person has two strikes. Some lawyers will just plead these cases without a fight. However, an experienced lawyer can do the following:
- Aggressively evaluate the evidence in a three strikes case to determine as early as possible whether to prepare a defense for trial or to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor or the judge for canceling or 'striking' a strike
- Conduct legal research on the prior strike convictions to determine if there is a basis for attacking their validity
- Prepare a "Statement in Mitigation" for review by the district attorney's office "Strike Committee" to argue for a reduced sentence
- Prepare a "Romero" motion to ask the sentencing judge to cancel or "strike" a prior conviction
We will review these options and more in our quest to get you the best possible outcome.
Free Consultation With a San Jose Three Strikes Cases Lawyer
When you need the help of a San Jose three strikes cases attorney, call our law firm at 877-7NO-JAIL or send us an e-mail. We offer payment plans, credit card payments and evening or weekend consultations. Se habla español.
