TodayLegal News

Verdict.News

All Topics

Sentencing

Legal news related to Sentencing

84 articles

State Court
•4 min read
Arizona Supreme Court

Arizona Supreme Court Affirms Death Sentence for Jasper Rushing

The Arizona Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence for Jasper Phillip Rushing, who was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his cellmate at Lewis Prison Complex in 2010. This marks the second time Rushing received the death penalty after the court vacated his original sentence in 2017.

•Arizona Supreme Court affirmed Jasper Phillip Rushing's death sentence for murdering cellmate at Lewis Prison Complex
•This is the second death sentence - the first was vacated in 2017 requiring a penalty phase retrial
AI-generated SummaryRead Article →
State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of New Jersey

NJ Supreme Court: Enhanced Gun Possession Charges Not Subject to Graves Act

The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled in State v. Cromedy that defendants convicted under an enhanced weapons possession statute are not subject to mandatory parole disqualification under the Graves Act. The decision clarifies sentencing requirements for repeat weapons offenders.

•New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled enhanced weapons charges under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(j) don't trigger Graves Act parole restrictions
•Court distinguished between underlying weapons offenses and enhanced provisions for repeat offenders
AI-generated SummaryRead Article →
State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of Kansas

Kansas Supreme Court Clarifies Standards for Murder Sentence Reductions

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in State v. Young, defining legal standards judges must apply when considering whether to reduce minimum sentences for first-degree murder convictions from 50 years to 25 years. The court established clear definitions for substantial and compelling mitigating factors while affirming the abuse of discretion standard for reviewing such decisions.

•Court defined 'substantial' mitigating factors as real and of substance, not imagined or ephemeral
•Established that 'compelling' reasons must be based on case facts that justify departing from 50-year minimum
AI-generated SummaryRead Article →
State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of Kansas

Kansas Supreme Court Sets Criminal History Standards in State v. Daniels

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in State v. Daniels that defendants who admit to their criminal history in presentence investigation reports cannot later challenge those admissions without meeting a heightened burden of proof. The decision clarifies procedural standards for establishing and challenging criminal history during sentencing.

•Defendants who admit to criminal history in presentence reports cannot later challenge those admissions without meeting heightened proof standards
•Kansas law recognizes two distinct procedural stages for criminal history determination under K.S.A. 21-6814
AI-generated SummaryRead Article →