What Lifers Must Know | October 2026
“The question is never what a person did. It is who they are now.”
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After more than twenty-five years of representing incarcerated men and women at Lifer Parole Suitability Hearings — across all thirty-plus California state prisons — I have written the book I wish I had when I started this work. Standing Up for Lifers: A Renegade Attorney’s Fight Inside the California Parole Hearings (Renegade Attorney Press, 2026) is now available in paperback on Amazon. The Board of Parole Hearings is looking for one thing above all else: genuine insight — real self-awareness. Not rehearsed remorse, but real evidence that the person in front of the commissioners has changed. After hundreds of hearings, I have learned what works, what destroys a case, and what the Board never says out loud but always looks for.
Available on Amazon |
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Ten Real Cases, Ten Lessons
The book walks through ten real cases — ranging from homicide to sex offenses and kidnapping — showing what happened inside the hearing room, why commissioners ruled the way they did, and what could have been done differently. It is written for incarcerated individuals, their families, attorneys, forensic psychologists, and advocates. Here is one lesson from each chapter.
1. Current risk must remain the central question.
In Richard Shaputis’s case, age, physical limitations, institutional conduct, and the ability to communicate insight all mattered. The lesson is to connect the evidence to present dangerousness, not merely to recite years served. (Chapter One)
2. Maintaining innocence does not automatically foreclose parole.
Michael Vicks maintained his innocence for decades and nevertheless received a grant. Counsel must distinguish an argument about present risk from an attempt to retry the conviction. (Chapter Two)
3. Insight is not a memorized script.
Michael Reyes’s history included a psychiatric crisis and a complicated relationship with mental-health treatment. A meaningful account of change requires understanding the individual’s actual thinking and behavior, not demanding stock phrases. (Chapter Three)
4. A late disclosure can change how the Board understands the case.
Darnell Carter’s long-concealed information became important to the panel’s understanding of his offense. Candor and a coherent account may matter more than a polished presentation. (Chapter Four)
5. Accountability is not the same as claiming a cure.
Raymond Jackson’s case required confronting serious sexual misconduct, past victimization, and an enduring clinical concern. The persuasive issue was whether he understood and could manage risk — not whether he could promise that every vulnerability had vanished. (Chapter Five)
6. Language and culture can affect whether a panel hears the evidence.
Karim Tehrani’s case involved a Farsi interpreter and assessments by two psychologists who both found low risk. Clear interpretation and careful explanation of the expert record were essential to making that evidence understandable. (Chapter Six)
7. Personal growth is often visible outside formal programs.
Steven Young’s unsolicited scholarship essay illustrated reflection that a certificate alone could not capture. The strongest evidence of change can be a person’s own work, supported by a longer pattern of conduct. (Chapter Seven)
8. A grant may not be the end of the process.
Marcus Webb’s case demonstrates that even after a panel grants parole, review and uncertainty may follow. Clients and families should understand that a favorable hearing decision is an important step, not necessarily immediate release. (Chapter Eight)
9. Difficult facts should be confronted, not minimized.
Daniel Trump’s case involved multiple victims, an accepted diagnosis, and a written accounting of misconduct. The task is to show sustained, credible risk management while recognizing the seriousness of the harm. (Chapter Nine)
10. A false confession can be more damaging than a truthful denial.
Leonard Dominguez’s account changed between hearings; the 2024 panel believed his assertion of innocence but still denied parole. His experience illustrates why no one should invent admissions to satisfy a perceived demand for remorse. (Chapter Ten)
Final Thoughts
The cases in Standing Up for Lifers illustrate that a parole hearing involves more than reviewing an old criminal record. It requires an individualized examination of the person standing before the Board today. For attorneys, families, and incarcerated individuals, the central lesson is that preparation should demonstrate how the person has changed and why that change matters to public safety.
What Others Are Saying
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Diane T. Letarte “The Renegade Attorney” |
“Working alongside Diane Letarte means working with an attorney who understands the clinical record as well as the legal one. That kind of clinical literacy is rare in a parole hearing advocate. Standing Up for Lifers belongs in the hands of every practitioner who works at the intersection of forensic psychology and parole advocacy.” — Yoshado Lang, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist |
Get the Book
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HOW TO GET THE BOOK • Paperback $19.95 on Amazon • ISBN: 979-8-9968136-0-5 • Family or friends can order the paperback and ship it directly to the incarcerated reader: full name, CDCR number, and the institution’s mailing address. • Check the institution’s mailroom rules before ordering. |
LIFER PAROLE HEARING REPRESENTATION Diane T. Letarte, Attorney
at Law DLetarte@earthlink.net |
Who they are now is what matters. Start preparing today.
Attorney Diane T. Letarte, M.B.A., J.D., LL.M., M.S. —
Lifer Parole Hearings & Appeals, Youth Offender Parole (SB 260/261/AB 1308), Elderly Parole (AB 3234, AB2727)
Call: 619-233-3688 | | Book: www.dianeletarte.com/book/
ADVERTISEMENT. This article provides general information and reflections from the author’s practice, not legal advice. Names in the book are changed or withheld except where consent was obtained or the records were public. The endorsement above does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of any legal matter. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Renegade Attorney Press, San Diego, California.
