CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL GIVES SAN MATEO MAN GIVEN REPRIEVE IN MURDER CASE

A California state Court of Appeals has overturned the sentence of a San Mateo man who was 16 years old when he took part in a gas station robbery and was convicted of first-degree murder (Penal Code section 187) and sentenced to life without parole.

The Court of Appeals relied on a recent U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that states should rarely sentence minors to life without parole and that any such decision much be based on carefully examined factors set forth by the court.

It is essential in cases such as these that involve juvenile defendants that the attorney prepare the most thorough mitigation investigation possible, so that the court is made aware of all possible mitigating factors that may exist. This includes evidence regarding mental health, abuse, family issues, substance abuse, sociological factors and many other factors.