Skip to main content

Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.425 · Division 5. Felony Sentencing Law

Factors affecting concurrent or consecutive sentences

Verbatim from the official edition

Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)

Factors affecting the decision to impose consecutive rather than concurrent

sentences include:

(a) Facts relating to crimes

Facts relating to the crimes, including whether or not:

(1) The crimes and their objectives were predominantly independent of each other;

(2) The crimes involved separate acts of violence or threats of violence; or

(3) The crimes were committed at different times or separate places, rather than being committed so closely in time and place as to indicate a single period of aberrant behavior.

(b) Other facts and limitations

Any circumstances in aggravation or mitigation, whether or not the factors have been stipulated to by the defendant or found true beyond a reasonable doubt at trial by a jury or the judge in a court trial, may be considered in deciding whether to impose consecutive rather than concurrent sentences, except:

(1) A fact used to impose the upper term;

(2) A fact used to otherwise enhance the defendant's sentence in prison or county jail under section 1170(h); and

(3) A fact that is an element of the crime.

Notes and commentary — not rule text

History

(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2018; previously amended effective January 1, 1991, and January 1, 2007.)

Subd (b) amended effective March 14, 2022; previously amended effective January 1, 1991, January 1, 2007, January 1, 2017, and January 1, 2018.)

Rule 4.425 amended effective March 14, 2022; adopted as rule 425 effective July 1, 1977; previously renumbered effective January 1, 2001; previously amended effective January 1, 1991, January 1, 2007, January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018.

Advisory Committee Comment

The sentencing judge should be aware that there are some cases in which the law mandates consecutive sentences.

Source of truth

Edition
As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
Official file
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/four/rule4_425
Text hash
sha256 973c0d09e4d5f0662f1620bded8cf4d8c9e80bb1480e4226ed2884753bd37acf
Composed by
compose_crc.py 2026-10-22: the Judicial Council's rule pages read paragraph by paragraph; verify_crc.py's second reading of the Council's per-title PDFs finds every paragraph

Cited by 1 provision

Provisions in this library whose text cites Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.425. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.