These rules apply to criminal cases in which the defendant is convicted of one or more offenses punishable as a felony by (1) a determinate sentence imposed under Penal Code part 2, title 7, chapter 4.5 (commencing with section 1170) and (2) an indeterminate sentence imposed under section 1168(b) only if it is imposed relative to other offenses with determinate terms or enhancements.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
These rules cover felony criminal cases where a judge must decide how long someone will be in prison. There are two main types of prison sentences in California: determinate sentences (a fixed number of years) and indeterminate sentences (a range like "15 years to life").
The rules always apply when someone gets a determinate sentence. They only apply to indeterminate sentences when that sentence is given alongside other charges that carry fixed terms or added time.
Summary generated March 14, 2026
Committee Notes
The operative portions of section 1170 deal exclusively with prison sentences; and the mandate to the Judicial Council in section 1170.3 is limited to criteria affecting the length of prison sentences, sentences in county jail under section 1170(h), and the grant or denial of probation.
Rule 4.403 amended effective January 1, 2018; adopted as rule 403 effective July 1, 1977; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2001; previously amended effective July 1, 2003, January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2017.
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