What is the 10-20-Life law?
The framework imposes mandatory minimum prison terms based on how a firearm was involved in a qualifying offense — possession during the offense, discharge, or discharge causing injury or death. The tiers escalate accordingly, and the sentences are mandatory, meaning the court cannot go below them.
Two things worth understanding about how these cases work.
The firearm allegation is a separate finding. Whether a firearm was possessed, discharged, or caused injury has to be established, and it can be contested independently of guilt on the underlying offense. That's why the weapon allegation deserves its own attention.
The list of qualifying offenses has been amended. The scheme has been narrowed since its enactment, and content written years ago may describe offenses that no longer carry the minimums.
Because the exposure is fixed once a qualifying finding is made, these cases are shaped early — by what gets charged and what gets alleged, more than by what happens at sentencing.
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