SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court gave prosecutors a victory Thursday, ruling that serious felonies committed by a juvenile, even when dealt with by a Juvenile Court, can count as prior strikes under the state's three-strikes law.
Legal experts said the ruling settles the issue of what a judge may consider in deciding whether a convicted adult felon is subject to the 25-year-to-life sentence mandated by the three-strikes law for repeat felons. Until now, some judges have considered juvenile records and some have not.
The decision could affect the cases of thousands of adults with juvenile records, prosecutors and public defenders said.
In the 4-3 decision, justices said judges can count felony cases where youths were found guilty in Juvenile Court, not just those where teenagers were tried as adults.
Public defenders and some youth advocates denounced the decision, saying teenagers who commit offenses will be followed by their records for the rest of their lives.
The ruling also could further fuel get-tough efforts in Sacramento, where Gov. Pete Wilson and many lawmakers have called for laws that, in the extreme, could result in the death penalty for juveniles who commit murder.
"This is excellent news for California," said Sean Walsh, Wilson's spokesman. "There are 16- and 17-year-olds who commit rape, armed robbery and murder. Today's Supreme Court decision affirms that if you commit adult crime, you will serve adult time."
"Now with this holding, the dam has broken open," said Richard Iglehart, chief assistant district attorney in San Francisco and an expert on the three-strikes law. "This is a whole new ballgame."
A spokesman for Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren said the case was an important victory for prosecutors.
"Obviously, we're pleased," said spokesman Rob Stutzman. "It expands the effectiveness of the state's three-strikes law. It allows local prosecutors to lock up dangerous criminals sooner, by being able to use the juvenile record."
Under the 1994 three-strikes law, repeat criminals convicted of a third felony face 25 years to life in state prison.
As the three-strikes law was being debated in the Legislature, critics pointed out that the measure's wording was ambiguous on the question of whether prosecutors could consider prior offenses committed by juveniles when those offenses were dealt with in Juvenile Court.
