Californian Three Strike Rule Broken
Go to: Previous Article Next Article
After being behind bars for thirteen years for attempted burglary a man has now been released despite Californian law stating that the three strike law decides whether or not a burglar is released. The burglar in question committed his 'third strike,' after attempting to enter a church kitchen.
The superior court judge in Los Angeles agreed to amend the sentence to just eight years, the man in question, Gregory Taylor, had already served these eight years in prison. Taylor had originally been sentenced to twenty five years imprisonment in 1997. Court witnesses are said to have reported that tears streamed down his face when the appeal decision was announced.
A law student who witnessed the court room drama, Reiko Rogozen, admitted, "I thought I was going to cry, too." Lots of people thought that Taylor's conviction would be upheld and were shocked to discover he was freed.
When the announcement was made Taylor is said to have thanked the court for allowing him another chance.
Taylor had been arrested in 1997 after attempting to enter a kitchen in St Joseph's Church in Los Angeles. The only defense he is said to have given is that he was hungry.
Following the arrest Taylor was convicted of 'three strike,' burglary as he already had two previous convictions. His previous convictions were for street robberies than occurred in the 1980's, both were non violent and no weapons were involved.
An appeal on Taylor's behalf suggested that he was a modern day version of Jean Valjean the character in the Victor Hugo novel Les Miserables. The comparisons were drawn due to both men being imprisoned for relatively minor offences where violence was never an issue.
The Californian 'three strike' rule has been upheld for a long time so the news of the amendment to Taylor's sentence came as quite a shock to those involved and to those who were following the case.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
- Find an Immigration Lawyer - Find a
Criminal Lawyer - Find a
Divorce lawyer - Find a
Real Estate Lawyer
- Find a Family Lawyer - Find an
Employment lawyer - Find a
Business Lawyer - Find an
Intellectual Property lawyer
- Find a Bankruptcy Lawyer - Find a Personal Injury Lawyer
- Find a Lawyer about anything
- File for an Online Divorce => without the help of a Lawyer <=
- Ask a Solicitor
Word Count: 333
Reduce Your Debts Without Bankruptcy. See How Much You Can Save. Free Debt Analysis
