three strikes
-
Appeals court declines to overturn defendant’s ‘3 strikes’ sentence
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Thursday that a defendant was sentenced under the state’s “three strikes” law in a manner that did not comply with the U.S. Constitution, but the mistake did not require reversal. Known as the Habitual Criminal Act, Colorado’s law requires judges to impose three or four times the maximum sentence if a…
-
Colorado justices, 5-2, conclude prior version of ‘3 strikes’ law satisfied Constitution
—
by
The state’s highest court ruled on Monday that the version of Colorado’s “three strikes” law that was in effect before this year was constitutionally compliant, notwithstanding a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted the legislature to change how defendants are sentenced. Known as the Habitual Criminal Act, Colorado’s law requires judges to impose three or…
-
Colorado Supreme Court confirms ‘3 strikes’ sentences not subject to challenge years afterward
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that defendants serving lengthy sentences under the state’s “three strikes” law, and whose convictions have been final for years or decades, do not have the opportunity to argue their punishments are excessive under current standards. Although Colorado’s Habitual Criminal Act has undergone changes since its enactment nearly a century ago,…
-
Appeals court declines to open door to challenges of already-final convictions
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday declined to apply a major state Supreme Court decision retroactively and enable more people to challenge their criminal convictions. In 2022, the Supreme Court issued Rojas v. People – a decision that eliminated a “troublesome relic” from the rules of evidence. Known as the “res gestae” doctrine, it enabled prosecutors to introduce evidence…
