Do you know whether or not a current allegation against you of a crime would trigger the three strikes law in the state of California? No matter what type of criminal allegation you are facing, you deserve to have the experience and support of a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney.

The three strikes laws are used in numerous states are intended to keep out career criminals or habitual offenders. The purpose of these three strikes laws is to land someone locked up for life after repeated offenses.

In general, these laws mean that anyone who is convicted of three felonies can or must receive a long prison sentence. The severity and length of this prison sentence depends on the individual states. It can be 25 years to life or 15 years to life.

Although Washington is the first state in the United States to adopt the three strikes law, approximately half the states across the country have a three strikes law and California is one of them. In many states, a strike is any conviction for a violent or serious felony, which can include arson, robbery, murder, kidnapping, burglary, explosives, most sexual offenses, and offenses that lead to great bodily harm. Certain states, for example, have three strikes laws that do not require the third strike to be a violent or serious offense.

Courts have invalidated California three strikes sentences if these are inappropriately harsh as a result of a 2012 passage of proposition 36. This required that a third strike for a person being sentenced to a significant time behind bars be a violent or a serious felony.

No matter how you have come to be accused of a serious crime, if you are curious about whether or not your allegations could fall under the umbrella of a three strikes law, it is imperative to protect your rights by retaining an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately.