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LSDefine
Simple English definitions for legal terms
definitive sentence
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A quick definition of definitive sentence:
A definitive sentence is the punishment given to someone who has been found guilty of a crime by a court. It can be a certain number of years in prison or other types of punishment like community service or restitution to the victim. There are different types of definitive sentences, like a determinate sentence which is a fixed amount of time in prison, or a suspended sentence where the punishment is delayed unless the person commits another crime.A more thorough explanation:
A definitive sentence is a judgment that a court formally pronounces after finding a criminal defendant guilty. It is the punishment imposed on a criminal wrongdoer. For example, a sentence of 20 years in prison is a definitive sentence.
Other types of sentences include:
- Concurrent sentences: Two or more sentences of jail time to be served simultaneously.
- Consecutive sentences: Two or more sentences of jail time to be served in sequence.
- Indeterminate sentence: A sentence of an unspecified duration, such as one for a term of 10 to 20 years.
- Mandatory sentence: A sentence set by law with no discretion for the judge to individualize punishment.
- Suspended sentence: A sentence postponed so that the defendant is not required to serve time unless he or she commits another crime or violates some other court-imposed condition.
For example, if a defendant receives concurrent sentences of 5 years and 15 years, the total amount of jail time is 15 years. This illustrates a concurrent sentence. Similarly, if a defendant receives consecutive sentences of 20 years and 5 years, the total amount of jail time is 25 years. This illustrates a consecutive sentence.