Sentencing Questions — Ask the Inmate
The moment a sentence is handed down, everything changes. Families who were focused on the trial or plea negotiations suddenly have a new set of urgent questions about what the sentence actually means in practice. How long will they actually serve? What facility will they go to? What is the difference between the sentence imposed and the time served? This section covers how federal and state sentencing guidelines work, what mandatory minimums mean and when they apply, how good time credits are calculated from the moment of sentencing, how the Bureau of Prisons designates a facility and whether families can influence that decision, what a split sentence means, and what the difference is between concurrent and consecutive sentences when multiple charges are involved. The guidance here translates the courtroom language into plain answers about what happens next. See also our sections on Sentence Reduction, Inmate Transfer, and General Prison Questions and Terminology.
This is not a good scenario. The DUI could cost him a lot more time behind the wall, probably not "life", but if there were any injuries or property damage it could be significant time.
Read morePossession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram is a state jail felony with a punishment range of 6 months to 2 years state jail (no parole from state jail) and a fine of up to $10,000. Due to the overwhelming number of state jail dope cases, the law requires probation in many cases.
Read moreThe designation for commitment is determined by the Department of Corrections. They will base the security classification on a number of factors including their criminal history, the type of crime they are convicted of, the value of the crime in dollars, was there any violence, and was anyone injured or any involvement with a gun.
Read moreI did time in FCI Miami with a few guys that were caught off the coast smuggling immigrants and they got five years in federal. With a "bad past," it might be more because they use the negative history against you at sentencing.
Read moreCourt costs assessed as part of a judgment and commitment are your son's financial obligation, not yours. You are not legally required to do anything with that letter, and no one can compel you to pay his court costs on his behalf. As for your son, the debt is real but the collection reality is practical. While he is incarcerated and not earning income, there is no mechanism to force payment. Court costs become something he will need to
Read moreYou can contact the Clerk of the Court and request a Judgment and Commitment Order. This is the document that the judge signs and it has all of the sentencing information.
Read moreDepends on who he said it to and what his prior criminal history looks like.
Read moreDepends on the mood of the judge that did the original sentencing. The worst case scenario is that the offender must finish out the remaining months on the original sentence.
Read moreYou can find this information from the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed. All of the pertinent documents are available, probably for a small fee to print the pages you want.
Read moreYou can contact the Clerk of the County of Mesa CO. They have all the documentation. This is where the lawyers go when they need accurate information on a case
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