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LSDefine
Simple English definitions for legal terms
commute a sentence
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A quick definition of commute a sentence:
Commute a sentence: When someone is found guilty of a crime, they are given a punishment called a sentence. Sometimes, the person in charge of the government can change the punishment to be less severe. This is called commuting a sentence. For example, if someone was supposed to go to jail for 10 years, the person in charge could change it to 5 years instead. This can happen if the person behaves well, gets sick, or if the punishment is too harsh compared to other similar cases. The President of the United States can do this for federal crimes, and the governor can do this for state crimes.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: To commute a sentence means to reduce or lessen a sentence that has been imposed by the judiciary as a result of a criminal conviction. This power is granted to the President of the United States for federal offenses and to governors for state offenses. For example, a ten-year sentence may be commuted to a five-year sentence. A sentence may be commuted for reasons such as good behavior, illness, old age, or if the sentence is unreasonably harsh compared to similar cases.
Example: In Illinois, the power to commute a sentence is defined as the power to remove a sentence imposed by the judiciary and replace it with a lesser sentence. For instance, if someone is sentenced to 20 years in prison for a non-violent crime, but they have shown good behavior and have been rehabilitated, the governor may commute their sentence to 10 years.
Explanation: This example illustrates how the power to commute a sentence can be used to reduce a sentence that is deemed too harsh or unfair. In this case, the governor may commute the sentence because the person has shown good behavior and has been rehabilitated, indicating that they are no longer a threat to society. This shows how the power to commute a sentence can be used to promote fairness and justice in the criminal justice system.