NCJ Number
157600
Date Published
1994
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This report assesses the probable impact on the Santa Clara Municipal Court of AB971, commonly known as the "three strikes, you're out" law, which mandates life imprisonment without parole for offenders convicted of three felonies.
Abstract
The Municipal Court can be expected to send 2,315 strike cases to the Superior Court in 1994 for trial or sentencing. In terms of the impact on Municipal Court proceedings, the report predicts there will be an increased number of appearances, case processing times will increase, the number of preliminary hearings will increase, the amount of time spent on preliminary hearings will increase, and preliminary hearings will be longer. This report also explores the relationships between case processing times and number of appearances, and strike dockets with other associated dockets; examines case processing of three broad classifications of cases; and provides a basis for estimating increased workload for interpreters and transcription services. 26 tables