A Yuba County judge ruled that a man who was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a 1998 double murder, but recently became eligible for parole under a new law, will not be released from prison.

“The court got this one right,” said Yuba County District Attorney Clinton Curry.

Marysville native Leon Lampkin Jr. was convicted of being an accessory to double murder, first-degree burglary, attempted robbery, and personal use of a firearm in 1998. According to court records, Lampkin and co-defendant Michael Owens attempted to rob brothers Alejandro and Leoncio Jimenez at their home. During the attempted robbery, the victims fought back but were ultimately killed by gunfire.

Lampkin was not found to be the person who shot the brothers, but under the law at that time, the punishment for being an accessory was the same as if he pulled the trigger. Lampkin was sentenced to two life terms in prison, however, that judgment was almost thrown out after former California governor, Jerry Brown, signed into law Senate Bill 1437 (SB 1437).

SB 1437 changed the state’s murder conviction law by limiting who can be prosecuted for murder and felony murder. According to SB 1437, a person who was an accessory to murder could not be convicted in the first degree. The law was also applied retroactively to those already convicted, including Lampkin, who’s been in prison for 25 years.

Although Lampkin became eligible to petition for a release from prison under the new law, a judge still had the final say. After several months of deliberation, evidentiary hearings, and witness testimony this year, Judge Stephen W. Berrier declined Lampkin’s request for parole.

“Defendant knew before-hand that this robbery would take place with weapons, at a residence in the late evening when it was dark,” Berrier said in his ruling. “The extreme, particular dangers of this crime could not have been unperceived by Defendant (Lampkin) given the timing, location and target in spite of Owens’ encouragement that it would ‘go smooth’ and Defendant’s relative youth.”

Lampkin was 22 years old at the time of the crime and according to court records, he was approached by Owens, who was older, and told that the robbery would “go smooth.”

The judge advised that the recent hearings were not a retrial and that the purpose of hearing testimony and reviewing evidence was to determine if Lampkin should be released from prison. Berrier said that Lampkin knew during the commission of the crime there was a “grave risk of death.”

“In weighing these factors, the court concludes that they tip in favor of finding that Defendant acted with reckless indifference to human life and the court so finds. Accordingly, Defendant’s petition is denied,” Berrier said.

Lampkin’s family was surprised by the decision.

“Dozens of family, friends, and neighbors who attended my brother’s request for resentencing are as shocked as I am,” Lampkin’s sister, Bertha Felix, told Fox40.com. “We attended in earnest to ensure the specific resentencing law was followed.”

Felix said that Lampkin would not receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole if he were tried under the new law, today.

“I share the Jimenez family’s grief for their loss and do not want to minimize their pain in any way,” Felix said. “I will, however, continue to fight for justice.”

The verdict came as good news for the victim’s family.

“My sister and I are grateful to the deputy DA (district attorney), Caitlin, for all the hard work she put in and to the judge for seeing Lampkin for who he is,” Natalie Jimenez, Alejandro Jimenez’s daughter, said to FOX40.com. “This decision was a great ending to a trying year.”

Other family members have mixed emotions.

“It’s definitely a sigh of relief, but I also feel for his (Lampkin) family,” said Marisol Jimenez, another daughter of Alejandro. “I don’t know how to feel, honestly, because his family approached me during one of the hearings. Some of his sisters and friends of his family prayed over me. They told me a lot of nice things.”

She does not blame Lampkin’s family for the death of her family members.

“It’s not their fault they have a brother who is a criminal,” Marisol said. “I’m just glad that I can put this behind me, somewhat, and let my dad and uncle rest.”