What's the Sentence for this Crime?
If you've been charged with a crime, you'll want to know what kind of penalties and consequences you're facing.
Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances
Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances
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Aggravating Circumstances in Sentencing
When a judge sentences a defendant after a guilty or “no contest” plea or a jury conviction, a variety of factors come into play.
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Mitigating Circumstances in Sentencing
Virtually every person facing criminal punishment wants to know the factors that might cause a judge to increase the sentence.
California's Proposition 47
California's Proposition 47
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Resentencing Under California's Proposition 47
Prop 47 downgraded many theft and drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. With some exceptions, people with prior convictions for these crimes, no matter how old, are entitled to ask for resentencing as a misdemeanant.
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How judges determine the punishment for people convicted of crimes.
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Felonies, Misdemeanors, and Infractions: Classifying Crimes
In every state, crimes are put into distinct categories. The categories are usually "felony," "misdemeanor," and "infraction."
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Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Mandatory or Not?
Congress passed The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 in response to concerns that federal judges’ sentences tended to be too lenient and vary too much from one locale to another.
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Why Do Judges Hand out Multiple Life Sentences?
It seems nonsensical: Why sentence a defendant to more than one “life” sentence? Life is, after all, life.
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What's the difference between consecutive and concurrent sentencing?
A defendant could be convicted and sentenced for multiple crimes. Within the bounds of the law, a judge can order a defendant to serve them at the same time or one after the other.