Los Angeles Criminal Defense and Restraining Order Lawyer Blog

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Power Trial Lawyers, P.C., client, Earl Snoddy, is resentenced by the state court, making him a free man just 9 months after retaining Power Trial Lawyers, P.C., the leading California Appeals and Post-Conviction law firm. Mr. Earl Snoddy spent 27-years behind bars. Power Trial Lawyers, P.C. successfully recalled his sentence pursuant to Penal Code §…

While California is on the cutting-edge of criminal justice reform, in large part, this is due to the extremely harsh sentencing laws enacted in decades past. Most notably, California’s three strikes law, codified in Penal Code § 667, provides for increasingly harsh sentences for those who have been convicted of certain felony crimes. In some…

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…