28/12/2023, 00:34 Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime

le Crime Lawyers Greg Hill & Ass…

Free Consultation: 310-782-2500

https://www.greghillassociates.com/ninety-year-sentence-void-for-juvenile-convicted-of-murder.html 1/5
28/12/2023, 00:34 Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime Lawyers Greg Hill & Ass…

Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder

Psychologists have recognized that the human brain is not fully matured when the rest of the body may appear
mature. Likewise, a person’s ability to exercise good judgment develops well past the age of 18. This issue is
usually not a consideration when a juvenile is charged in juvenile court. Indeed, the primary purpose of the
juvenile court system is rehabilitation.

Why This Article Matters: This is one of several cases that immediately (just one
year prior) preceded People v. Franklin (2016) 63 Cal.4th 261, which is best
known for holding that the sentencing judge’s is obligated to consider the
“hallmarks of youth” in sentencing a person under age 25 to a sentence that is
the functional equivalent of life without the possibility of parole.

The immature judgment and other features of being a juvenile become a consideration in sentencing when a
juvenile is charged as an adult in a serious case, especially when if convicted, the sentence involves a very long
sentence or life sentence without the possibility of parole (LWOP). This is because such a sentence implicates the
Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

Many courts have recognized this sentencing issue and ruled in different ways on whether a long sentence for a
juvenile violates the Eighth Amendment.

Inglewood Juvenile Court

Finally, in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama (2012) 567 U.S. 460, 132 S. Ct. 2455, 183 L. Ed. 2d
407, that before a judge sentence a juvenile to a LWOP sentence or one that is the functional equivalent, the
sentencing judge must “taken into account how children are different, and how those differences counsel against
irrevocability sentencing then to a lifetime in prison. “Miller, supra, 132 S. Ct. at 2469.

Such differences between adults and children are relevant in sentencing insofar as children are often “immature,
impetuous and fail to realize the risk and consequences” of certain conduct” Miller. The Miller court further
indicated that a judge may consider the juvenile’s home environment, “from which he cannot usually extricate
himself – no matter how peer pressure may have affected him, a youth’s “inability to deal with police officers” and
“his incapacity to assist his own attorneys.”

The larger, more biological, issues are that the court should consider are how a juvenile may have a higher
possibility of rehabilitation than an adult because the youth’s brain is simply not fully developed.

This background is relevant toward considering the conviction of Donald Ray Dokins for first degree murder and
the attempted murder of another. At the time of the crime, Dokens was fifteen years old. The jury found that the
crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street crime. They took place in Los Angeles.

Dokins had been riding his bike when he passed by a house with many people congregated on the porch. A man
on the porch stared at Dokeis and Dokins stopped. The man nodded at Dokins as if he knew the young man.

https://www.greghillassociates.com/ninety-year-sentence-void-for-juvenile-convicted-of-murder.html 2/5
28/12/2023, 00:34 Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime Lawyers Greg Hill & Ass…

Dokins returned to the house with a revolver under his sweatshirt. He pulled out the gun and stopped his bike.
He stood in the street straddling the bike. He then shot about five to six shots at the people on the porch.

The shots hit a baby and a man. The man died, but the baby survived. Dokins rode his bike away from the scene,
later burning his sweatshirt in a vacant lot.

Witnesses from the party rather quickly advised the police about the clothing of the suspect. Police found the
sweatshirt about a day later when they responded to a call to report a fire in a vacant lot. Near the burned
sweatshirt were two spiral notebooks with the name Donald Dokins throughout.

Police arrested Dokins the next day. Dokins had a crude tattoo on his arm that said “TFR,” signifying a part of
street gang called Fudge Town Mafia Crips. “TFR,” a gang expert at trial testified, referred to the shooters in the
Fudge Town Mafia Crips. There were twelve to fifteen shooters known as TFR within the Fudge Town Mafia Crips.

A jury convicted Donald Dokins as an adult of both murder and attempted murder. The jury also found true that
the crime was committed to benefit the TFR as part of the Fudge Town Mafia Crips. The judge sentenced Dokins
to 90 years to life in prison.

On appeal, Dokins alleged that a sentence of 90 years to life is the equivalent of life without parole and violated
the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment as construed in Miller, supra.

The Second Appellate court agreed that the “harsh sentencing” of the trial court judge (Pat Connolly in Compton
Superior Court) was in error because he did not methodically lay out his reasoning for the sentence after
considering the factors Miller required to be evaluated by a judge.

The appellate court thus remanded the case back to the trial judge to consider the youthfulness of Mr. Dokins in
crafting the sentence. It said Miller “expressly requires the sentencing court to take into account how children are
different and how those differences counsel against irrevocably sentencing them to a lifetime in prison.”

The citation for the Second Appellate District Court ruling discussed above is People v. Donald Ray Dokins (2d App.
Dist., 2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 1179.

For more information about the issues in this juvenile case, please click on the following articles:

1. Sentence for Juvenile of 100 Years is Cruel and Unusual Punishment For Aiding and
Abetting Murder

2. Thirty Years to Life Sentence For Juvenile Sex Crime Defendant Not Cruel and Unusual
Punishment

3. Sentence of 50 Years to Life For Teenager For First Degree Murder Not Cruel and
Unusual Punishment

Contact us.

Serving Torrance, Long Beach, Compton, Airport Courthouses and Other Courthouses.

Types of Cases

https://www.greghillassociates.com/ninety-year-sentence-void-for-juvenile-convicted-of-murder.html 3/5
28/12/2023, 00:34 Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime Lawyers Greg Hill & Ass…

DUI / Felony DUI | Domestic Violence | Drug Offenses | Public Urination | Prostitution / Sex
Offenses | Theft / Shoplifting | Public Intoxication | Driving Offenses | Juvenile Offenses | Vandalism /
Graffiti | Violent Crimes | White Collar Crimes | Elder Abuse | Probation Violations | Federal Offenses

Services

Bench Warrant Recalls | Expungement (Petition for Dismissal) | Probation Modifications | Seal Court
Records and / or Arrest Records | Petitions for Factual Innocence | Bail Reductions | Protective Orders /
Restraining Orders | Immigration Forms | Motions to Vacate | Motions for Reclassification of a
Felony | Petitions for Prop 47 | Petitions for Prop 64 | Certificates of Rehabilitation | Motions for
Military Diversion | Motions for Mental Health Diversion | Extraditions

Helpful Information

Bail Schedules | Custody Information | Classes & Programs | Judicial Profiles | Law Enforcement

Search

Client Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Thank you so much for putting so much effort in this case. We really appreciate it and we are happy that all turned out
well."
- S.A., Torrance

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Greg Hill did an outstanding job on every level. He was efficient, thorough, knowledgeable, courteous, responsive &
brilliant. He welcomed my input and my concerns. . . from the first conversation to the last - I always felt 'it mattered' to
him."
- S.C., Rolling Hills Estates

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Thanks again for your hard work. We want you to know that we are very appreciative of all that you have done [on our
son's] behalf. With warmest regards."

- L.H., Torrance

Phone: 310-782-2500

https://www.greghillassociates.com/ninety-year-sentence-void-for-juvenile-convicted-of-murder.html 4/5
28/12/2023, 00:34 Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime Lawyers Greg Hill & Ass…

22850 Crenshaw Blvd #200

Torrance, CA 90505

Fax: 310-534-7160

We serve clients throughout California including those in the following localities: Los Angeles County including
Carson, Compton, El Segundo, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Long Beach, Manhattan
Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Dominguez, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills
Estates, San Pedro, Santa Monica, Torrance, Wilmington, and surrounding cities in Los Angeles.

Ninety Year Sentence Void for Juvenile Convicted of Murder :: Los Angeles, County Juvenile Crime Lawyers Greg Hill
& Associates

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The
contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a
text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2023, Greg Hill & Associates

JUSTIA Law Firm Website Design

https://www.greghillassociates.com/ninety-year-sentence-void-for-juvenile-convicted-of-murder.html 5/5