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Cruel and Unusual Punishment-California Test
(People v. Jefferson)
 

Criminal Law-Cruel and Unusual Punishment-Constitutional Law California Test
(People v. Jefferson)

California applies a similar test for determining whether a punishment violates the California Constitution’s ban on cruel or unusual punishment, but also compares the punishment with other punishments both in and outside California.  A sentence violates the state ban if it “is so disproportionate to the crime for which it is inflicted that it shocks the conscience and offends fundamental notions of human dignity.”  (In re Lynch (1972) 8 Cal.3d 410, 424.)  Courts use three guidelines to determine whether a punishment shocks the conscience and offends fundamental notions of human dignity.  They are:  (1) examining the nature of the offense and the offender (similar to the federal test), with particular regard to the degree of danger both present to society; (2) comparing the challenged penalty with the punishments prescribed in the same jurisdiction for different offenses; and (3) comparing the challenged penalty with the punishments prescribed for the same offense in other jurisdictions having an identical or similar constitutional provision.  (In re Lynch, supra, 8 Cal.3d at pp. 425-427.)  Disproportionality need not be established in all three areas.  (People v. Norman (2003) 109 Cal.App.4th 221, 230.)

People v. Jefferson 6/15/04 CA3

Jun 15 2004

C041274 [PDF] [DOC]

P. v. Jefferson 6/15/04 CA3

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