Sentence Reduction Motions in California in CA… | CGMIMM
Criminal Defense · CA
Sentence Reduction Motions in California
California criminal defendants can pursue sentence reduction post-conviction through compassionate release, First Step Act retroactive provisions, Rule 35 motions, and clemency / commutation petitions.
Published May 9, 2026
## Sentence reduction motions in California
Convicted defendants in California have multiple paths to sentence reduction post-conviction — particularly under the federal First Step Act and parallel state reforms. These remedies have led to thousands of sentence reductions nationally.
## Federal sentence reduction tools
**Compassionate release (18 USC § 3582(c)(1)(A)):**
**Eligibility:**
- "Extraordinary + compelling reasons"
- Court reduces sentence
- Bureau of Prisons (BOP) request OR after exhausting administrative remedies
- Specific factors (USSG § 1B1.13)
**Common grounds:**
- Terminal illness
- Severe medical condition
- Inadequate prison medical care
- Aging defendants
- Family circumstances (spouse death, etc.)
- Other compelling reasons
**Specific (post-2018 First Step Act):**
- Defendants can file directly
- Without BOP approval
- Significant reform
- Increased usage
**First Step Act (2018):**
**Compassionate release expansion:**
- Direct defendant petitions
- More flexible standards
- Increased grants
**Earned-time credits:**
- 10-15 days off per 30 days for programs
- Specific programs
- Time off home confinement
- Significant reductions
**Crack cocaine retroactive (Section 404):**
- Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive
- Reduced disparities
- Hundreds of cases
- Substantial reductions
**Career offender restrictions:**
- Reduced 924(c) stacking
- Reduced career offender impact
- Specific provisions
**Safety valve expansion:**
- More drug defendants eligible
- Below mandatory minimums
- Specific procedural changes
## Rule 35 motions
**Rule 35(a) — clerical errors:**
- Specific narrow grounds
- 14-day deadline typically
- Limited application
- Sometimes useful
**Rule 35(b) — substantial assistance:**
- Cooperation post-sentence
- Government motion required
- Significant reductions possible
- Specific to government discretion
- Outside 1-year window in some cases
## Government-sponsored reductions
**5K1.1 — substantial assistance pre-sentence:**
- See federal charges guide
- Below mandatory minimums
**5K3.1 — fast track (immigration):**
- Specific districts
- Specific procedures
- Limited offenses
**Government policy initiatives:**
- Specific DOJ priorities
- Specific case types
- Specific to administration
## Federal habeas corpus
**See post-conviction relief guide:**
- 28 USC § 2255 (federal prisoners)
- 28 USC § 2254 (state prisoners in federal court)
- Specific procedures
- AEDPA limitations
## State sentence reduction
**${s.name} parallel mechanisms:**
**State First Step Act-equivalent:**
- Many states have parallel reforms
- Specific to ${s.name}
- Different procedures
- Different scope
**State compassionate release:**
- ${s.name}-specific procedures
- Different criteria
- Different applications
- Specific to state
**Sentence modification motions:**
- ${s.name}-specific procedures
- Various grounds
- Specific to state law
- Various names
**Earned-time credits:**
- ${s.name}-specific programs
- Specific calculations
- Specific procedures
- Significant reductions
## Clemency + commutation
**Federal:**
- Presidential pardon power
- Office of Pardon Attorney
- Petition process
- Lengthy waiting periods (5+ years post-release typical)
- Discretionary
- Specific clemency initiatives (Obama, Biden)
**State:**
- Governor / parole board authority
- ${s.name}-specific procedures
- Specific to state
- Discretionary
- Sometimes systematic initiatives
**Commutation vs pardon:**
- Commutation: sentence reduction (still convicted)
- Pardon: forgive offense (after sentence)
- Different effect + procedures
## Specific reduction grounds
**Medical:**
- Terminal illness
- Severe medical conditions
- Inadequate prison medical care
- Specific evidence
- Specific procedures
**Age:**
- 65+ in some federal/state programs
- Sometimes earlier
- Specific eligibility
- Reduces sentence
**Family circumstances:**
- Death / disability of spouse / parent
- Caregiver responsibilities
- Specific evidence
- Limited grounds
**Rehabilitation:**
- Programs completed
- Behavior in prison
- Specific evidence
- Strong + sustained record
**Disparate sentencing:**
- Co-defendants received less
- Subsequent law changes
- Specific to circumstances
- Limited grounds typically
**New evidence:**
- Sometimes basis for sentence reduction
- Different from conviction challenge
- Specific procedures
## Recent trends
**Increasing reductions:**
**Compassionate release surge (2020-2024):**
- COVID-era increases
- DOJ guidance changes
- Specific cases
- Continuing high level
**First Step Act reductions:**
- Thousands of releases
- Specific to provisions
- Continuing implementation
**State reform:**
- Multiple state initiatives
- Specific to states
- Significant reductions
- Continuing
## Process
**Federal compassionate release:**
**1. Exhaust BOP administrative remedies:**
- Submit request to warden
- Wait 30 days OR full denial
- Specific procedures
**2. File motion in sentencing court:**
- Specific factual basis
- Documentation
- Legal authority
- Specific reductions sought
**3. Government response:**
- DOJ position
- Sometimes neutral or supportive
- Specific factual disputes
- Specific legal arguments
**4. Court ruling:**
- Often without hearing
- Sometimes with
- Specific factual findings
- Specific reductions
**5. Appeal options:**
- Limited
- Specific procedures
- Specific issues
**State motions:**
- Specific to ${s.name}
- Different procedures
- Different grounds
- Different remedies
## Common challenges
**For incarcerated defendants:**
- Limited access to counsel
- Specific case files
- Specific evidence access
- Specific resource constraints
- Communication barriers
**For attorneys:**
- Specific procedural complexity
- Government opposition
- Court reluctance
- Specific evidentiary issues
- Specific success rates
**Success rates:**
- Compassionate release: 20-50%+ in some districts
- First Step Act provisions: high success
- Specific to grounds + circumstances
- Specific to court
## Cost
**Court-appointed counsel:**
- Federal Public Defender
- CJA panel
- Free for indigent
- Quality varies
**Private counsel:**
- $5,000-$25,000+ typical
- Specific to complexity
- Specific to case
- Specific reductions sought
**Pro bono:**
- Some attorneys take cases
- Specific organizations
- Specific to case type
- Specific to merit
## Resources
**Federal:**
- Federal Public Defender
- Federal Defenders' compassionate release projects
- ABA pro bono programs
- Specific organizations
**State:**
- State public defenders
- ${s.name} legal aid
- Specific clinics
- Specific organizations
## Strategic considerations
**For defendants:**
- Document rehabilitation
- Maintain medical records
- Family support documentation
- Specific evidence
- Strong specific case
**For attorneys:**
- Specific factual development
- Multiple grounds where possible
- Government negotiation
- Specific court tendencies
- Strategic timing
## What you should do
If you (or family member) seeks sentence reduction in California: contact federal public defender (federal cases) or state defender. Hire experienced post-conviction attorney for complex cases. Most California criminal defense attorneys handle some sentence reduction. Specific specialists exist. Success requires strong factual basis + specific legal grounds.
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*This guide is general information about federal + California law as of mid-2026 and is not legal advice. Sentence reduction is technical + time-sensitive. Talk to a licensed California criminal defense attorney about your specific case.*
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change and outcomes depend on your specific situation — talk to a licensed attorney before acting on anything you read here.