Miscarriage of Justice

[Benton]

(07-18-2018, 11:22 AM)PhilHos Wrote:  

True, but nearly killing 3 people - one of which was a toddler in her care - should be punished more severely than 1 and a half years in prison.

Possible, but not necessarily.

Depending on the laws of the state, sentences for third degree assault and attempted murder could be low. If there were no firearms or drug enhancements, there may be a low max sentence. And if it's a first time offender, and extenuating circumstances, a judge may be lenient in sentencing. It's not uncommon in some areas for simple assault or attempted murder to get pled and have a long probation sentence rather than a long court trial and also a long jail sentence... part of which would have been served during the long trial.

I know when cases like this gets coverage and stand out it's easy to say "hey, that judge is a moron, how could this happen!?" but if that judge has been on the bench more than a few years, this probably isn't so uncommon comparatively.