Pubdate: Friday,November 12,1999 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Section: Local News,page 9 Author: Kraig St. Pierre-Costa Mesa BE CAREFUL OF SAPPING STRENGTH OF '3 STRIKES' I'm a supporter of the "Three Strikes" law and I hope you will consider the following. First,Penal Code section 1385 allows both the district attorney and courts to reduce third-strike cases to second or no-strike cases when justice demands. This discretion is used often to prevent the abuses you cited in your recent editorial["three Strikes'strikes out,"Editorial,Nov.10].Please check the statistics. Modifying the law to require the third strike be serious or violent will allow proven criminals to strike again. Someone, maybe you,will have to be hurt,killed or otherwise violated before that offender will even be eligible to be treated as a third-strike offender.Is this the will of the people? Not this person. Kraig St. Pierre-Costa mesa - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart