Strategic Post-Conviction Advocacy Secured Racial Justice Act Discovery To Challenge A Decades-Old Life Sentence Case
When a life sentence is imposed for being merely present at a crime, justice demands a second look. Our client has spent nearly 30 years in prison under an 86-years-to-life sentence from a 1999 Three Strikes conviction. Through extensive and hard-fought litigation, our team recently obtained discovery under California’s Racial Justice Act (RJA), a critical step toward correcting a conviction that appears fundamentally unjust and securing our client’s long-overdue release.
California’s Three Strikes Law, enacted in the 1990s, dramatically increased sentences for individuals with prior felony convictions. In many cases, including our client’s, the law resulted in life sentences not because of a person’s conduct in a particular case, but because of their criminal history or mere presence during an offense. Our client received an 86-to-life sentence despite allegations that he was simply present during a robbery, a punishment that far exceeds what would be imposed for similar conduct today.
Under California Penal Code § 745, the Racial Justice Act (RJA) prohibits the state from obtaining a conviction or imposing a sentence based, in whole or in part, on race, ethnicity, or national origin, including through racially disparate charging practices or sentencing outcomes. The Racial Justice Act provides a post-conviction mechanism for relief where a defendant can demonstrate that race was a factor in the charging decision, trial proceedings, or sentence imposed, whether through explicit bias or systemic disparity. Most importantly, the RJA provides a mechanism for obtaining discovery—such as charging data, sentencing patterns, and historical records—that can expose systemic disparities affecting African American defendants.
Obtaining RJA discovery is no small feat, particularly in a decades-old case. Our attorneys engaged in extensive litigation, crafting detailed legal briefing and forcefully advocating for access to the evidence necessary to uncover whether racial bias influenced our client’s prosecution and sentence. The court’s order granting RJA discovery represents a pivotal victory, opening the door to evidence that may demonstrate our client was subjected to a racially disparate and unconstitutional application of the law.
If successful, this RJA challenge could result in our client’s release after nearly 30 years of incarceration, restoring a life taken far too soon and reaffirming the principle that justice must be fair, equitable, and free from racial bias.
At Bay Area Criminal Lawyers, PC, we believe that justice does not end when a conviction is entered. Whether a case is recent or decades old, we take each matter personally and fight relentlessly to correct unjust outcomes. For individuals serving extreme sentences imposed under outdated or discriminatory practices, experienced post-conviction advocacy can mean the difference between a lifetime behind bars and a second chance at freedom. Contact us today to schedule your one-hour free consultation if you or someone you know has faced criminal charges.