SB 94 - Judicial Review of Old Sentences Fact Sheet
Heidi • February 10, 2023
Fact Sheet distributed by Senator Cortese's office regarding Senate Bill 94
As a member of the DROP LWOP coalition, the Felony Murder Elimination Project is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 94, authored by State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), for consideration during the current legislative session. This bill would provide for judicial review for individuals serving life without parole or sentenced to death for offenses committed before June 5, 1990, and who have served at least 20 years of their sentence.
A fact sheet distributed by Senator Cortese's office offers the following highlights of SB94:
- Courts will review evidence of mitigating factors or reduced risk of violence consistent with changes in California law enacted in since the original sentencing date.
- As a result of those changes to California law, many individuals who received extreme sentences decades ago would not be sentenced the same way today.
- In these cases, judges will have the discretion to leave the sentence unchanged or to resentence the person to a lesser sentence.
- SB94 creates a process for the review of cases that have not been looked at in decades. For incarcerated persons who merit a second chance, there will be an opportunity for them to work to earn parole.
You can view and download the SB94 fact sheet here (opens in Google Drive).
In 1985, Charles McCrory was wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife in Alabama with “bite mark” evidence, now considered junk science and a leading contributor of wrongful convictions.
Robert Roberson is entitled to a new trial, as the Texas-planned State-sponsored murder of a man many believe to be innocent is the furthest thing from justice.
"From Brilliant Mind to Broken Prison System: My Journey Through Incarceration, Re-entry, and Redemption" is written by formerly incarcerated writer Anthony McCarary
An investigative report from The Marshall Project found at least 50 boys who stayed at two different abusive reform schools in Florida ended up on death row.
Louisiana prosecutors ask to reinstate Jimmie Duncan's death penalty sentence that was vacated in April 2025 due to a prosecution that relied on junk science.
California Coalition for Women's Prisoners hosts an event celebrating 30 years of organizing across the walls of women’s prisons with Dr. Angela Davis on 11/5/2025
Masked law enforcement bring chaos to our communities. CA legislators are taking action: SB 627 bans all law enforcement from covering their faces when policing our neighborhoods.
US DOJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report is critical of the federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) use of restraints on prisoners, noting officials violated their own rules.
Ella Baker Center hosts a virtual mail night where attendees respond to letters from incarcerated people. The next event is Monday July 21st,530p-730p PT.
Brian Boles and Charles Collins were exonerated for a 1994 murder after new DNA testing made it impossible to uphold their convictions in New York City.