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"2,500 cons could get 'spring' break"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this New York Post article discussing the possible consequences of the Second Circuit's important ruling earlier this week that declared unconstitutional New York state's Persistent Felony Offender sentencing law (basics here).  Here's more: The cell doors aren't being sprung open just yet -- but as many as 2,500 career criminals statewide could challenge their lengthy prison sentences because of a controversial federal court ruling. The ruling effectively killed a popular "three strikes and you're out" provision of the criminal code that gave judges great leeway in sentencing habitual offenders to life in prison. There were 2,467 inmates serving 15 years to life as "persistent felony offenders" as of Jan...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 02, 2010 (boomark / email).