Felony Sentencing

A California felony conviction comes with serious life-altering consequences. At the very best, you could get formal probation with little or no jail time. But the worst-case scenario punishment includes a state prison term of from 16 months to life without parole. Other collateral consequences also follow a felony conviction, such as loss of employment, travel restrictions, loss of a business, or even deportation. If you have been charged with a felony offense in the greater Los Angeles area, you need to contact a Los Angeles felony lawyer to protect your legal rights.

Three Strikes Law

Although a felony conviction can be a disaster anywhere, the California “Three Strikes Law and You’re Out” felony law makes California perhaps the worst state in which to face a felony conviction.  This strict California felony law requires that repeat offenders face increasingly stricter and higher level punishments. Your Los Angeles felony lawyer will explain the details of this law and how it affects your particular case.

California felonies can be punished in one of two ways: either Determinate Sentence or an Indeterminate Sentence. A Determinate Sentence is a set prison term, whereas an Indeterminate Sentence includes a variable term, such as life in prison.

The majority of felonies in California are generally punished under the Determinate Sentencing laws. Under this sentencing law, the judge presiding over the case has a choice of imposing one of three prison term, low, middle, or high term, depending on the nature of the crime committed.  It is most common for the judge to choose a middle term, but the final sentence depends of various factors, such as judge’s discretion, the seriousness of the crime, and the defendant’s past criminal history.

What Factors Will the Judge Consider During Sentencing?

Two of the major factors that the judge will take into consideration during sentencing are mitigating and/or aggravating factors. Your Los Angeles felony lawyer will evaluate the facts of your case in determining how to argue these factors to the judge.

Even the smallest felony conviction can ruin many aspects of your every day lifestyle. With that in mind, choosing the right Los Angeles felony lawyer can mean the difference between an acquittal and spending the rest of your days behind bars. To schedule a free consultation with a Los Angeles felony lawyer, contact Daniel Cota at 800.351.6860.