Our client was charged with murder after he and a co-defendant were accused of fatally beating a transient man with metal bats. According to a witness, the victim had previously threatened the defendants, and an altercation began when the defendants confronted him. The victim attempted to walk away, after which our client and his co-defendant allegedly struck him multiple times in the head with metal bats before fleeing the scene. The case exposed our client to a potential sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, along with additional consequences associated with the alleged use of a deadly weapon and great bodily injury.
Our defense team carefully evaluated the circumstances surrounding the incident, the witness accounts, and the evidence supporting the murder allegation. We negotiated a significant reduction in the charges and secured an outcome that reflected voluntary manslaughter rather than murder. Our client was permitted to withdraw his previously entered plea and enter a no-contest plea to voluntary manslaughter under Penal Code § 192(a).
The murder charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter, and our client was sentenced to 12 years in state prison, avoiding the potential 25-years-to-life sentence associated with the original murder charge. This resolution substantially reduced our client’s exposure in a serious homicide prosecution and avoided a life sentence.