What are the Three Strikes Laws?
Three Strikes laws are pieces of legislation enacted by the Federal government that targets repeat offenders. After three separate felony convictions, or “strikes,” convicts are removed from society – that is, they’re sent to jail for an extended period of time, up to life.
The purpose behind the Three Strikes Law is that those who repeatedly commit felonies likely pose a serious threat to society and should be imprisoned for the greater good.
Many Three Strikes laws count only violent or serious crimes for the first two strikes but have a much lower threshold for the third. Any felony, such as shoplifting or forgery, may be counted as strike three and produce a sentence of 25 years to life.
Under the federal Three Strikes rule, now codified at 18 U.S.C. § 3559(c), the defendant receives mandatory life imprisonment if he or she:
- Is convicted in federal court of a serious violent felony; and
- Has two or more prior convictions in federal or state courts, where at least one of which is a serious violent felony. The other prior offense may be a serious drug offense.
Under the statute, a serious violent felony includes murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, kidnapping, robbery, and any offense punishable by 10 years or more which includes as an element the use of force or that, by its nature, involves significant risk of force. The statute also enumerates certain non-qualifying felonies, including unarmed robbery offenses and robbery offenses that posed no threat to human life.
Getting Arrested Does Not Mean You Are Guilty
Being arrested or investigated for a federal crime does not mean that you are guilty or that you have no rights. An experienced criminal defense attorney will fight for your rights and work to have your charges reduced or even dismissed. Contact the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C., for a no-cost consultation to discuss your case and see how our experience and knowledge of the system can help you.
Our Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Help
Founded by the former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Pete Strom, the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. includes a former public defender and a tax lawyer familiar with I.R.S. investigations. Our team of Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers, paralegals, investigators, and clerks has been carefully assembled to create the best possible mix of experience, passion, and knowledge. And we work with top investigators, forensic experts, consultants, and professional researchers to assemble a robust and thorough defense on your behalf.
An arrest puts your rights, your freedom under the three strikes law, your family, and your livelihood at stake. If you are facing charges for federal crimes, the federal criminal defense lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C., will fight to protect your rights and your personal and professional future. Our firm, centrally located in Columbia, South Carolina, has been serving clients for over 30 years, and our extensive experience and familiarity with federal law and prosecutorial techniques means you’ll get practical and vigorous legal representation.
An Arrest Puts Your Rights, Your Freedom, Your Family, and Your Livelihood at Stake
Call today for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case with our federal criminal defense lawyers. We have the experience and background necessary to provide aggressive legal representation that can help you avoid jail time and other criminal penalties. The federal criminal defense lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C., will fight to protect your rights and your personal and professional future.
