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Simple English definitions for legal terms
concurrent-sentence doctrine
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A quick definition of concurrent-sentence doctrine:
The concurrent-sentence doctrine is a rule that says if someone is convicted of multiple crimes and receives sentences for each, an appellate court does not need to review a challenge to a conviction on another count if the sentence for that count is the same or less than the sentence for the affirmed conviction. In simpler terms, if someone is found guilty of more than one crime and the sentences are similar, the court doesn't need to review each individual conviction.
A more thorough explanation:
The concurrent-sentence doctrine is a legal principle that states that if an appellate court affirms a conviction and sentence, it does not need to hear a challenge to a conviction on another count if the sentence for that count is equal to or less than the affirmed conviction.
For example, if a defendant is convicted of two crimes and sentenced to five years for each crime, but the appellate court only hears and affirms the conviction and sentence for one of the crimes, the defendant will still serve five years in prison because the sentences are concurrent.
This doctrine is used to streamline the appeals process and prevent unnecessary litigation. It also ensures that defendants are not subjected to multiple punishments for the same offense.