Imagine you are a judge and the last three criminal cases you presided over all yielded three guilty verdicts. You have ordered presentence investigations for all three offenders. The presentence investigation report has been returned and it is now time to sentence the offenders. You are properly equipped and ready to sentence each of the offenders based on the recommended sentencing range and the presentence investigation report. In your paper, you will explain what sentence you would give for each offender and your rationale for selecting those punishments. You can modify the sentence outside of the range, but you have to explain why you modified the sentence and explain any expected backlash from this sentence.
- Offender 1: Committed the crime of vehicular homicide. He is a veteran and is married with three children. He is a college graduate and he works in city government. He has no arrest history. His character reference returned that he is a standup citizen.
- Recommended sentence: 5 to 10 years in prison, followed by probation for three years.
- Offender 2: Committed the crime of home invasion and robbery. She has several past arrests ranging from drug charges to robbery. She did not graduate from high school and has been in and out of the system since he was a juvenile. She has no kids and does not work legally. Her character reference returned that she is a menace, a threat to society, and is gang affiliated.
- Recommended sentence: 20 years to life, followed by probation for 10 years
- Offender 3: Committed the crime of Grand Theft and identity theft. He has several arrests, but all were non-violent offenses. He has been to drug rehabilitation twice in the past and was successful in both situations. His character reference returned that he is a good person when he is not on drugs. However, when on drugs, he has been accused of stealing from his own family and people in the neighborhood.
- Recommended sentence: 1 to 3 years in prison, followed by probation for five years. While on probation, he must attend inpatient rehabilitation.
Using the knowledge that you have gained from this week’s reading assignments, Intellipath and MUSE assets, and other information provided, address the following questions in a 2-3 page paper:
- What was the sentence given for offender 1 and your rationale for the sentence?
- What was the sentence given for offender 2 and your rationale for the sentence?
- What was your sentence given for offender 3 and your rationale for the sentence?
- What part of this process was the most difficult for you as the judge? Why do you think that was?
- How do you think the community will react to the sentences you chose? What are the long-term ramifications of the sentences you chose?