Articles Posted in Uncategorized

Once you determine that you need a restraining order, receiving a permanent order of protection cannot come soon enough. At the same time, if you haven’t been through the process before, the thought of filing for a restraining order can become a seemingly overwhelming task. The truth is, filing for a restraining order in California…

California Restraining Order Forms The need for a restraining order often comes up during exceptionally challenging times. For this reason, it is common for those seeking the protection of a California restraining order to feel overwhelmed by the process. However, if you believe you need a restraining order, it is imperative that you do not…

How California Inmates Can Effectively Leverage the Newly-Passed AB 600 in Hopes of Obtaining a Resentencing Hearing On October 8, 2023, Governor Newsome officially approved Assembly Bill 600 (“AB 600”), which is the latest criminal justice reform measure in California. Like many of the other recent changes in the state’s criminal justice system, AB 600…

Recently, the California criminal defense and appeal lawyers at Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. watched as a client who was formally sentenced to 35 years to life in prison walked free after serving only 20 years  of that sentence in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This marks yet another inmate who was freed as…

In the ever-changing landscape that is the California criminal justice system, the concept of pretrial diversion stands as a means of getting all charges dismissed before trial. Pretrial diversion is a legal mechanism that allows certain individuals to bypass the traditional prosecutorial process in favor of rehabilitative programs. Often times, if completed successfully, a judicial…

California criminal law is known across the country for its use of sentencing enhancements, which first started to become law back in the 1990s. However, since then, critics of California’s sentencing enhancements have pointed out that they have led to over-incarceration, especially among racial minorities. Among the most notorious of all enhancements are the firearm…

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…

A Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus has long been the safety net that ensures the United States criminal justice system remains a fair one. However, over recent years, both lawmakers and judges have restricted access to the Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus. In large part, this is due to the pervasive…

Recently, California criminal appeals attorney Matthew Barhoma appeared on CourtTV to discuss Governor Newsome’s recent decision not to sign for the release of Leslie Van Houten, despite the parole board’s decision that she should be released on parole. Now 72 years old, Leslie Van Houten was given a life sentence for helping Charles Manson carry…

The effects of a felony conviction are severe and remain with you for life. However, by obtaining a certificate of rehabilitation, inmates can regain many of the liberties they’ve been deprived of due to their conviction. While certificates of rehabilitation are not new, by any means, they are underutilized, in large part, because they are…