Articles Posted in Criminal Appeals

On October 8, 2023, California took a significant stride in criminal justice reform with the enactment of Assembly Bill 600, widely referred to as “AB 600”. This legislative development, approved by Governor Newsome, marks a paradigm shift in the state’s approach to resentencing hearings for inmates, introducing the concept of Judicial Initiated Sentencing. In this…

Welcome to Power Trial Lawyers, where your rights and your future matter to us. Located in the heart of Orange County and Los Angeles County, we provide staunch representation for individuals facing gun crime charges. Our mission is to protect your dignity, rights, and freedom at every turn of the often intimidating landscape of legal…

California’s felony sentencing guidelines are established by the California Penal Code and the California Rules of Court. Additionally, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) provides guidance on the implementation of sentencing laws through various policies and regulations. Generally, felony sentencing guidelines in California are determined by several factors, including: These guidelines are designed to…

Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. successfully argued a client’s case in the California Appellate Court, Second District, forcing the case back to the Los Angeles County Superior Court for an evidentiary hearing. On December 1, 2022, after nearly 20 months of review, the California Appellate Court, Second District issued an order in a Power Trial Lawyers, P.C.,…

What Is AB 256? Senate Bill 256 is a bill introduced by State Assemblymember Ash Kalra of the 27th Assembly District. The bill builds upon a prior law, the California Racial Justice Act, which precludes the government from making any prosecutorial or sentencing decisions based on the race, ethnicity or national origin of the accused. While…

On August 8, 2022, the California Supreme Court decided a long-awaited case that affects SB 1437 Petitions for individuals convicted of Special Circumstance Murder when they ruled in the case of People v. Christopher Strong. Specifically, the Supreme Court ruled that some special circumstance findings do not automatically preclude defendants from SB 1437 relief. Background Regarding SB 1437…

Another Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. Client is spared from his sentence, when Governor Newsom granted his Application for Commutation of Sentence. His family and friends were elated to hear that the Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. client was sparred from his Life Without the Possibility of Parole sentence. Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. represented the client through…

Another Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. client is fortunate to be successfully resentenced out of Riverside County pursuant to Senate Bill 483 and Penal Code § 1170.03. On April 15, 2022, after nearly 9-months of review, the California Superior Court of Rancho Cucamonga successfully resentenced a Power Trial Lawyers, P.C., sparing him from an illegitimate sentence.…

ABC7 publishes an article covering California Criminal Appeals attorney, Matthew Barhoma’s work in a re-sentencing of his client pursuant to Penal Code 1170(d)(1) and AB 2942. The article highlights a recent success for Power Trial Lawyers, P.C., where the Firm successfully reduced a client’s sentence just mere 9 months after retaining the Firm. Our client,…

California Criminal Appeals Lawyer Comments on Recent Criminal Justice Headlines Recently, Attorney Matthew Barhoma, appeared on Court TV to discuss several of the nation’s highest-profile criminal cases.  Ahmaud Arbery Earlier this year, three White men who were previously convicted for the February 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced by a Georgia judge. Shortly after…