Cal. Codes » Penal Code / PART 2. OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE / TITLE 7. OF PROCEEDINGS AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE TRIAL AND BEFORE JUDGMENT / CHAPTER 4.5. Trial Court Sentencing / ARTICLE 1. Initial Sentencing
California Codes

Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91 (2026)

Initial Sentencing

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(a)If the court concludes that a defendant convicted of a felony offense is, or was, a member of the United States military who may be suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of the defendant’s military service, the court shall consider the circumstance as a factor in mitigation when imposing a sentence. This consideration does not preclude the court from considering similar trauma, injury, substance abuse, or mental health problems due to other causes, as evidence or factors in mitigation.

(b)(1)A person currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction, whether by trial or plea, who is, or was, a member of the United States military and who may be suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of the person’s military service may petition for a recall of sentence, before the trial court that entered the judgment of conviction in the case, to request resentencing if the circumstance of suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of the person’s military service was not considered as a factor in mitigation at the time of sentencing.

(2)If the court that originally sentenced the person is not available, the presiding judge shall designate another judge to rule on the petition.

(3)Upon receiving a petition under this subdivision, the court shall determine, at a public hearing held after not less than 15 days’ notice to the prosecution, the defense, and any victim of the offense, whether the person satisfies the criteria in this subdivision. At that hearing, the prosecution shall have an opportunity to be heard on the petitioner’s eligibility and suitability for resentencing. If the person satisfies the criteria, the court may, in the interest of justice, and regardless of whether the original sentence was imposed after a trial or plea, do either of the following:

(A)Reduce the defendant’s term of imprisonment by modifying the sentence.

(B)Vacate the conviction and impose judgment on any necessarily included lesser offense or lesser related offense, whether or not that offense was charged in the original pleading, and then resentence the defendant to a reduced term of imprisonment with the concurrence of both the defendant and the district attorney of the county in which the defendant was sentenced or by the Attorney General if the case was originally prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

(4)A person who is resentenced pursuant to this subdivision shall be given credit for time served.

(5)Resentencing under this subdivision shall not result in the imposition of a term longer than the original sentence.

(6)This subdivision does not alter or diminish any rights conferred under Section 28 of Article I of the California Constitution (Marsy’s Law).

(7)This subdivision does not diminish or abrogate any rights or remedies otherwise available to the person.

(8)This subdivision does not diminish or abrogate the finality of judgments in any case not falling within the purview of this subdivision.

(9)This subdivision does not impose an obligation on the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide medical or mental health assessments in order to identify potential service-related injuries.

(10)This subdivision shall apply retroactively.

(c)This section does not apply to a person convicted of, or having one or more prior convictions for, an offense specified in clause (iv) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 667 or an offense requiring registration pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 290.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 21 cases (19 in the last 5 years), 2019–2025 · leading case: Gauthier v. Unknown, No. 3:21-cv-01706 (S.D. Cal. June 1, 2023).
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Gauthier v. Unknown, No. 3:21-cv-01706 (S.D. Cal. June 1, 2023). · cites it 4× “) Petitioner argues the trial court’s purported exclusion of both 25 mitigating factors violated California Penal Code section 1170.91, and, in turn, the Due 26 Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
People v. Valliant, No. G058568S (Cal. Ct. App. Feb. 17, 2021). · cites it 2× “” (Pen. Code, § 1170.91, subd. (a); further statutory references are to this code.”
People v. Valliant, No. G058568S (Cal. Ct. App. Feb. 17, 2021). · cites it 2× “” (Pen. Code, § 1170.91, subd. (a); further statutory references are to this code.”
People v. Ayala, No. B315862 (Cal. Ct. App. Feb. 23, 2023). · cites it 2× “” Ayala contends, the Attorney General concedes, and we agree that the matter must be remanded for a new sentencing hearing for the trial court to consider whether to impose a lower 1 Penal Code section 1170.91 requires a court to consider a defendant’s United States military…”
Robert S Woods v. Warden, No. 8:23-cv-00986 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 9, 2023). · cites it 2× “Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91 (b)(1); see People v.”
Royal v. Koenig, No. 3:21-cv-01388 (N.D. Cal. May 28, 2021). · cites it 2× “§ 2254 , challenging the state courts’ denial of his petition for resentencing under California Penal Code section 1170.91. He has paid the $5.”
Williams v. Fisher, No. 3:23-cv-00423 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 23, 2024). · cites it 2× “12, 2023) 13 (holding that denial of resentencing petition filed pursuant to Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91 14 “constitutes a new judgment”).”
People v. Lamoureux, 42 Cal. App. 5th 241 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019). “22 [petition procedure to recall or dismiss sentences, vacate convictions, and obtain resentencing for persons serving sentences for engaging in prostitution with prior prostitution conviction and knowledge of positive acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) test results];…”
People v. Bonilla-Bray, No. B299607 (Cal. Ct. App. May 21, 2020). “As amended, Penal Code section 1170.91 lays out eligibility criteria and provides that upon receiving a petition, the court must hold a public hearing to determine whether the defendant satisfies those criteria.”
People v. Russell, No. C092673 (Cal. Ct. App. May 24, 2021). “I would address these claims if only to inform petitioner they are outside the parameters of our 1 Penal Code section 1170.91, subdivision (b), at issue here, is a similar postconviction procedure to Penal Code section 1170.”
People v. Mammoth, No. G059666 (Cal. Ct. App. July 29, 2021). “(Pen. Code, § 1170.91.) The trial court ruled appellant was ineligible for resentencing because his alleged injuries were unsubstantiated and unrelated to his service in the Navy.”
People v. Rymalowicz, No. F083785 (Cal. Ct. App. Mar. 15, 2023). “Subsequently, defendant filed a petition for resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.91,1 which permits individuals to petition for resentencing when military-related trauma was not considered as a mitigating factor at the time of sentencing.”
Show all 21 citing cases →
Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91(b): 1 case
Williams v. Fisher, No. 3:23-cv-00423 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 23, 2024). “12, 2023) 13 (holding that denial of resentencing petition filed pursuant to Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91 14 “constitutes a new judgment”).”
Cal. Penal Code § 1170.91(b)(1): 1 case
Gauthier v. Unknown, No. 3:21-cv-01706 (S.D. Cal. June 1, 2023). “) Petitioner argues the trial court’s purported exclusion of both 25 mitigating factors violated California Penal Code section 1170.91, and, in turn, the Due 26 Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
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