Orange County Three Strikes Defense Lawyers
Three Strikes
CASES WE HANDLE
Attorney Jeremy N. Goldman has substantial experience representing individuals charged with felony crimes in California:
- DUI and DWI
- Murder
- Vehicular Manslaughter
- Rape
- Drug Manufacturing
- Strike crimes
One of the most devastating challenges a person can face is to be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years-to-life in prison. California's Three Strikes Law allows such a punishment for three-time repeat offenders with multiple prior convictions for serious or violent felony offenses. Some of the most frequent offenses that strikers serve time for in prison pertain to assault, robbery, burglary, and possession of illegal drugs.
Probably the most shocking and debated aspect of the Three Strikes Law, beyond the fact that it has cost the state thousands of dollars in incarceration fees, is that a person who has previously been convicted of a crime can face 25 years to life if he or she commits a non-serious or nonviolent felony, such as petty theft. Sound like cruel and unusual punishment? Many people think that the Three Strikes Law infringes upon the idea that the amount of time sentenced should rightly fit the degree of the crime committed.
In many cases of repeat offenders, their actions are a direct reflection of not receiving proper rehabilitation or not having access to proper counseling. Many at-risk youth develop habits that lead them down the path of criminal activity and being treated like a criminal instead of a human being. Fortunately, for those facing a strike offense, an experienced Orange County three strikes defense attorney can help you have your charges reduced and, hopefully, stay out of jail.
According to the California Legislative Analyst's Office, there were around 43,000 inmates serving time in prison as of December 31, 2004, a number that is sure to have increased presently, under the Three Strikes Law. This large number made up about 26% of the total prison population in which of the striker population, about 7,500 are third strikers and more than 35,000 are second strikers. With the law increasing the length of sentences for third time offenders, the average length of stay for the prison population raised as well.
The application of the Three Strikes Law varies by county in California, which greatly affects the difference in comparison between striker totals and rate of strikers in prison. Based on the CA Legislative Analyst's Office, in 2004 Orange County witnessed a total of 2,162 strike offenders in which 366 were third strikers and 1,796 were second strikers. The rate of strikers in prison in Orange County per 100,000 adult felony arrests was 849. It is encouraging to know that Orange County's striker numbers do not even make the list of top five counties in California; however, Orange County is not immune to such numbers increasing in the future.
With over 14 years practicing in Orange County, Jeremy Goldman is skilled at steering his clients through the local court system to ensure that they receive the quality legal representation they deserve when being charged with a strike offense. The Three Strikes Law involves some of the most complex standards to understand without the help of a criminal defense attorney. Such attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman understand that a strike offense, whether it is a second or third, requires acute attention to detail regarding your criminal investigation and arrest to make certain that your rights were not violated in the process. Call Jeremy Goldman today for a free consultation of your three strike offense case today.
