Jose Garcia, 70, was commended for his exemplary behavior and commitment to rehabilitation

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 9, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A man who has spent more than half his life atoning for a misguided crime has been formally granted a second chance through the unanimous approval of a California correctional systems parole board, his attorney Matthew Barhoma announced today.

Jose Garcia, now in his seventies, earned a Commutation of Sentence from Gov. Gavin Newsom in July 2022, sparing him from a life behind bars without the potential for parole. This month - following arguments led by Barhoma - a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole board officially granted him his conditional release, noting he had a particularly high likelihood of successfully reintegrating back into society.

Garcia was convicted on charges of kidnapping for ransom and sentenced to life without parole in April 1988 in connection to a crime he committed against a drug dealer who had owed him money when he was 33 years old.

But over the course of his time in prison, Garcia proved not only a model inmate, but an exemplar of the redemptive mission of our criminal justice system. Serving his sentence under the belief that he would never be released, Garcia expressed genuine remorse for his actions, devoted himself to self-improvement, maintained an unblemished disciplinary record and engaged in self-help programming and educational coursework. He was regularly commended by staff for his positive attitude.

The Los Angeles-based Barhoma Law, P.C. successfully represented Garcia before the Governor's office, the California Supreme Court, and the Parole Board. Matthew Barhoma celebrated the confirmation of his client’s release as evidence of a system functioning as intended.

“I would say this is the perfect case of clemency at work. It’s why we have a system that allows pardon for wrongdoers who have paid their debt to society and proven they can return to their communities and occupations to live quietly and peacefully among family and friends. Jose deserves his freedom,” said Barhoma.

Upon Garcia’s release he will emigrate back to his home country of Peru under a deportation order, where he plans to assume ownership and operation of his own local supermarket. This could have happened much sooner, Barhoma noted, had the criminal justice system been quicker to recognize evidence of its own success.

“All of those years, taxpayers were paying for the confinement of a man now in his 70s, with a number of physical ailments and no likelihood of recidivism as diagnosed by a state psychologist,” said Barhoma.

Case Information: In re: Garcia, A706749 (Cal 2nd. App)

About Matthew Barhoma

Matthew Barhoma is one of California’s leading criminal appeals attorneys representing prisoners over-sentenced or wrongfully convicted in their applications for commutation, clemency or pardon. For immediate assistance, prisoners or their loved ones should contact Barhoma Law P.C., which has successfully secured the release of numerous clients through various mechanisms under California law. To learn more, and to schedule a free case evaluation, contact Barhoma Law P.C. (213) 800-7664. You can also connect with us through our online contact form here.

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