‘Three Strikes’ Law

Before David Miranda (letter, April 4) lectures professor Erwin Chemerinsky as to what the public thought it was getting in passing the “three strikes” initiative, he should read it himself. He and almost everyone else is unaware that a defendant can pick up two strikes in one criminal prosecution, thereby subjecting himself to draconian results on his second offense, which does not make him a “habitual” criminal. It has taken the courts and case law to correct this deceptive piece of legislation, which passed because Sacramento refused to deal with the problem as it should have.

Ron Rothman

Attorney, Manhattan Beach