Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Sentencing Law and Policy

Criminal Law

: Sentencing Law and Policy

A better example of sex-offense plea deal gender disparity?

By Douglas A. Berman

I noted here earlier this week a report about a federal sex offense case in which prosecutors allowed a defendant to plead guilty in a way that enabled her to avoid being subject to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.  I speculated that one reason this plea deal was accepted might have been because the victim was male and the defendant was female, rather than vice-versa.  In part because my gender-based speculation generated lots of interesting comments, here is another gender-bending story worthy of debate.  This story, as reported in the Orlando Sentinel and headlined "Teacher accused of having sex with 14-year-old student avoids jail," comes from state court: A former middle school teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student in her car pleaded no contest to a reduced charge today and was sentenced to five years probation...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on October 02, 2008 (boomark / email).