mandatory sentence
law
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sentencing guidelines
- In crime: Sentencing
Many jurisdictions also have implemented mandatory sentences, which remove any judicial discretion. One popular type of mandatory sentence is described by the phrase “three strikes and you’re out”; i.e., a defendant receives an extended or even a life sentence upon conviction for a third felony. All mandatory sentences, and particularly…
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War on Drugs
- In War on Drugs
…established a series of “mandatory minimum” prison sentences for various drug offenses. A notable feature of mandatory minimums was the massive gap between the amounts of crack and of powder cocaine that resulted in the same minimum sentence: possession of five grams of crack led to an automatic five-year…
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