Prop. 36 Passes; Will Modify California Three Strikes Law

Prop. 36 Passes; Will Modify Three Strikes LawVoters on Tuesday opted to change California’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law, which mandates a life sentence for anyone convicted of three serious crimes, NBC projects.

Proposition 36 was leading 68 percent to some 32 percent as of 10:45 p.m. with 20 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Secretary of State.

Under the “Three Strikes” law, someone who commits two felonies defined as serious can be sent to prison for 25 years by committing a third felony of any type – even some forms of shoplifting. Prop. 36 sought to modify that policy, the toughest of its kind in the nation.

With its passage, Prop. 36 would amend the law to make only a violent or serious third felony count as a “third strike.”

As currently written, California’s 1994 three-strikes law counts residential burglary as a strike, allows offenders’ juvenile records to be considered as strikes in some cases and lets the third strike be imposed for any felony. Offenders can be sent away for life if their third felony is for petty theft, forgery or drug possession.

 

NBC has the full article

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