Miscellaneous

Sentence Structure

By Anne Skove, Esq.

You'd think reporters, of all people, would understand a sentence. Make that a prison or jail sentence, and it's a whole 'nother story. Nobody, as Prof. Berman notes, seems to have a handle on the exact amount of O.J.'s time.

Some guesses from the presses:

• NECN: 9 years minimum


• Blackvoices: at least 15 years


• Bloomberg: 9 years


• USA Today: 18 years, with parole possible after 5


• Philadelphia Inquirer: 9 to 33 years


• The Province (Canada): 33 years


• Long Beach Post Sports: 5-15 years


• Washington Times (Moonies): 33 years, not eligible for parole until serving at least 9 years (noting, too, that "it is possible the penalty is a life sentence for Simpson, who is 61 years old")


• Dispatch (South Africa): minimum of 9 years in state prison

According to the FOX News transcript (which includes bonus Kato Kaelin commentary), Judge Glass broke down the sentence as follows:

• Count 1, conspiracy to commit a crime = 1 year in county


• Count 2, conspiracy to commit a kidnapping = minimum of 12 months, maximum of 48 [months] in Nevada DOC, to run concurrent with count 1.


• Count 3, conspiracy to commit a robbery, minimum of 12 months, maximum of 48 months in Nevada DOC, to run concurrent to count 2.


• Count 4, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon = minimum of 26 months, maximum of 120 months in Nevada DOC, to run concurrent with count 3


• Count 5, first degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon = fixed term of 15 years, parole eligibility after 5 years, with consecutive 12 to 72, concurrent to count 4.


• Count 6, first degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon = fixed term of 15 years with parole eligibility after 5 years, consecutive 12 to 72.

Note our savvy estimate: "fifteen-plus years," with the qualifier "might."

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on December 08, 2008 (boomark / email).