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?Professional Criminal? Label Can Warrant Consecutive Sentences

By Baker Associates

The word ?consecutive? is a word that can strike fear into the heart of any criminal defendant. That single word can make decades? worth of difference in defendants? sentencing hearings, transforming multiple convictions into one extended prison term. Where sentences are imposed ?consecutively? in Tennessee, they run back-to-back, meaning four sentences of four years each could result in a sentence of sixteen years. When sentences are imposed ?concurrently? they all run at the same time, meaning those four convictions would net the defendant four total years of jail time. Since consecutive sentencing is an incredibly harsh punishment in many cases, Tennessee law requires that certain factors be met in order to sentence a defendant consecutively...continue to full post

Full post as published by Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog on February 08, 2010 (boomark / email).