Posted On: June 15, 2010
Top Five Reasons Why California's 10-20-Life Law is Unduly Harsh
California’s “10-20-life ‘use a gun and you’re done’” law subjects an offender to ten years in prison for using a gun, 20 years for discharging a gun, and 25-years-to-life for seriously injuring or killing another person with a gun. What’s more is that these harsh penalties are in addition and consecutive to the penalty you face for the underlying felony offense.
Here are just a few of the reasons why California’s “10-20-life ‘use a gun and you’re done’” law is unduly harsh:
- You can be sentenced to ten years for “using” a gun even if the gun is inoperable or unloaded.
- You can be sentenced to ten years for “using” a gun even if you only use it to strike someone (otherwise referred to as pistol whipping).
- You can be sentenced to twenty years for discharging a gun even if the gun misfires or doesn’t discharge a bullet.
- You can be sentenced to 25-years-to-life even if it’s not the gunshot wound that kills or injures the alleged victim.
- You can be sentenced to 25-years-to-life even if you’re not the one who personally uses the gun if the crime was allegedly gang-related.
