Orange County Felony Criminal Defense Attorneys

Felonies and the Three-Strikes Law

One of the most serious consequences of facing felony charges in California is facing the three-strikes law. Our three-strikes law adds extra time in prison for people who have committed more than one felony. Unfortunately, the law applies even when you're charged with a felony that isn't a strike, as long as you have at least one previous strike on your record. As a result, Californians with one or more strikes on their record can face double, triple or even life sentences for relatively minor crimes.

The three-strikes law defines a "strike" as any serious or violent felony, which includes any crime as well as crimes of violence, certain narcotics and sex crimes, and a handful of other felonies. (If you're not sure whether the law applies in your case, the criminal defense experts at Wallin & Klarich can tell you at a free consultation.) If you have been convicted of one strike, the sentence for any future felony conviction at all -- whether or not it's a strike -- will double. If you have two strikes on your record, the sentence for any future felony, violent or nonviolent, will be 25 years (or more) to life in prison. The law also prohibits judges from sentencing you to parole instead of prison; requires you to serve at least 80% of your sentence, regardless of how many sentence credits you earn; prohibits alternative sentencing; and requires judges to take into account convictions that would otherwise be too old to matter.

Because any felony -- not just a violent or serious crime -- can count as a third strike, Californians have been given 25 years to life for nonviolent or relatively minor crimes. If you're charged with more than one strike crime in the same case, the prosecution can count them as two or more strikes, automatically lengthening your sentence. That's why people facing felony charges in California, even first offenders, should defend their cases as thoroughly as possible. At Wallin & Klarich, we take all potential strike cases extremely seriously. When we are retained to defend a felony three-strikes case, our first priority is always to look for the weaknesses and mistakes that exist in any criminal case. Drawing on more than three decades as criminal defense attorneys, we will examine your case closely for civil rights violations, inappropriate charges and other errors that could get your charges dropped or lightened.

Even if your case doesn't provide this sort of opportunity, Wallin & Klarich can still help by using our intimate knowledge of the procedural side of the criminal justice system. Whenever possible, we will negotiate with prosecutors to reduce felony charges to misdemeanors, strike felonies to non-strike felonies and long prison sentences to alternative sentencing or parole. And if you've already got a strike on your record, we can ask the judge or the prosecutor to consider ignoring that strike, for the sake of serving justice.

At Wallin & Klarich, we're proud of our strong record of successfully defending clients against serious felony charges. With more than three decades of experience in criminal defense, and several former prosecutors on staff, we understand how the criminal justice system works. We understand how the other side thinks, and we know how to exploit common mistakes by prosecutors and law enforcement to help our clients. Because we've worked in Southern California for so long, we have an intimate knowledge of the courts, laws and judges we work with every day. And thanks to our success, we have the resources to mount a complete and aggressive defense to all of the charges against our clients.

If you're facing a felony or three-strikes charge, you're facing a charge that could have a huge effect on your future, your family and your finances. You should never give up without a fight. For a free consultation on your case, call the experienced California criminal defense lawyers at Wallin & Klarich today, at 1-888-285-2925.

At Wallin & Klarich, we approach every case with the belief that the person we're defending could easily be one of our own family members. We've seen firsthand how stressful legal matters can be for our clients and their loved ones. We are committed to being available to our clients at all times -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you or someone you love is facing felony criminal charges in Southern California, you should call Wallin & Klarich today for a free evaluation of your case. Call 1-888-285-2925 or fill out our online consultation form to get in contact with a legal professional today. We will be there when you call.