Until 2019, countless of inmates in California had been serving unjustly long sentences for murder convictions, even though they never killed, attempted to kill, or intended for a person to die. Fortunately, as part of the ongoing criminal justice reform in California, in 2017, the state legislature acknowledged the need…
On September 30, 2020, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 3234, which was codified as Penal Code §§1001.95-1001.97, and became effective on January 1, 2021. AB 3234 is a product of the continuing criminal justice reforms in California. The Court Initiated Misdemeanor Diversion is essentially a “get out of…
For far too long transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex people have been subjected to various forms of discrimination and victimization. This has been particularly prevalent for those who have been incarcerated. Even the United States Supreme Court has recognized that transgender people are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassment. Fortunately,…
The term “civil rights” encompasses a very broad variety of rights. Some of those rights are enshrined in the Constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, the right to due process, and the right to equal protection under the…
We live in a civilized society and being imprisoned does not mean giving up basic human rights. While, as a result of incarceration, inmates do have some of their rights limited and prisons are allowed to curtail certain rights based on safety and security, there are certain basic fundamental human…
A criminal conviction can have a life changing and potentially devastating impact on anyone. However, under federal law, certain offenses are considered deportable, including controlled substance offenses, crimes of moral turpitude, and aggravated felonies. So, for noncitizens, a criminal conviction brings with it potentially very grave collateral immigration consequences. In…
Various factors have contributed to childhood sexual abuse being one of the most underreported crimes, including the fact that over ninety percent of all childhood sexual assaults are perpetrated by a person personally known to the child or their family. And while the underreporting prevents us from knowing exactly how…
Childhood sexual abuse is one of most horrific crimes imaginable. Given that it is one of the most underreported crimes, it is very hard to determine the exact number of victims, but what is undisputable is that millions of individuals have suffered instances of sexual abuse as minors. In fact,…
What is a pardon – Eligibility and Benefits The effects of a criminal conviction do not end once an individual has served their sentence. In fact, the consequences of a criminal conviction can last forever and can impede the rest of a person’s life. Fortunately, the California Constitution gives the…
What’s Commutation – Eligibility and Benefits For the past few decades, California has been known for its tough-on-crime policies and its extremely harsh sentences. Fortunately, the California Constitution gives an individual the right to seek a commutation of sentence. Commutation is a form of clemency that the governor has the…