Pennsylvania has a three strike law which deals with minimum mandatory sentences that must be imposed by a Judge for criminal defendants convicted of committing violent crimes. A minimum mandatory sentence refers to a required sentence that a judge must give a criminal defendant under the law if the defendant is either found guilty of a certain crime or pleads guilty to a certain crime. assault crimes The statute dealing with Pennsylvania’s version of the Three Strike Rule can be found in Title 42 Pa C.S. §9714. The statute states that any criminal defendant found guilty of committing a crime of violence, shall if he has been convicted of a prior crime of violence serve at least 10 years in prison. This 10 year minimum mandatory rule is known as a second strike Law. The Three strike Law states that any criminal defendant convicted of a third crime of violence in his lifetime shall be given at least 25 years in prison
The Three Strike Law for Violent crimes calls for extremely harsh penalties. One of the questions that comes up for criminal defendants is does this three strike law apply to me? 42 Pa. C.S. section 9714 gives a list of all of the crimes in Pennsylvania that are considered to be violent crimes. self-defense All of the crimes listed in the statute are felonies. Some of the crimes listed are felony robbery, Third degree murder, aggravated assault etc. Make sure to consult with an experienced Violent Crimes attorney if you are charged with a violent crime and you believe that the three strike Law might apply to you. There are several violent crimes which do not fall within the Three Strike Law. SO make sure to hire an attorney who understands this law and the minimum mandatories that are associated with it.
