On Sat, 10 May 2008 11:10:08 GMT, Palindrome wrote:
>> Just because a crime *can* result in a prison sentence, that does not
>> mean that it has to do so in every case.
>
>No, but there is an argument that it should do for some offences.
You are talking about mandatory minimum sentences. A concept that I
have always opposed because of the fact that every crime carries a
different degree of culpability, and even a crime that is usually very
serious can be carried out in circumstances where little or no
punishment is merited.
What happens is that the judges bend the law so as to alter the crime
in order to avoid having to give the mandatory sentence.
You may recall the elderly couple where the woman had a painful
terminal disease. The husband entered into a suicide pact with her,
first killing her and then attempting suicide - but he failed and
lived.
It was clearly murder - but do you believe he deserved the mandatory
life sentence?
--
Cynic
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