In California, certain serious or violent felonies committed by minors can count as “strikes” under the state’s Three Strikes law if the youth is at least 16 years old at the time of the offense.
These juvenile “strikes” can follow individuals into adulthood, significantly increasing future sentences under the adult Three Strikes law. Though juvenile records are sealed at age 18, felony strikes remain attached for life and cannot be expunged.
In recent years, some lawmakers and justice reform advocates have pushed to end the use of juvenile court adjudications as “strikes” that trigger harsher adult sentences. Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-La Mesa), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is one of them.
Sharp-Collins told the Assembly Public Safety Committee in April that juveniles found delinquent in California often lack key due process protections.
“These are not convictions handed down with full adult due process. And yet they can trigger a mandatory 25-to-life sentence in adulthood,” she said. “This is a multi-layer punishment, often for children who were already failed by the system meant to actually protect them.”
California’s Three Strikes law was enacted in 1994 when Republican Gov. Pete Wilson signed it, and it was later affirmed by voters through Proposition 184. Strike-eligible offenses include murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, arson, and first-degree burglary. Nonviolent felonies committed by juveniles do not count as strikes unless they meet specific criteria tied to simultaneous serious offenses.
On Nov. 12, Sharp-Collins hosted a virtual discussion on Assembly Bill (AB) 1279, a two-year bill she introduced during the 2025-2026 legislative session to reform youth justice policies. The webinar aimed to explain the bill, its community impact, and how the public can engage in the legislative process.
One panelist, Jonathan Laba, is an Assistant Public Defender and Supervising Attorney in the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office.
The webinar also featured personal stories from individuals impacted by juvenile strikes. One was 24-year-old Daisy Sandoval, who ran away from home at 13 after learning she was adopted.
