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Simple English definitions for legal terms
consecutive sentences
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A quick definition of consecutive sentences:
Consecutive sentences are when a judge gives a person more than one punishment for different crimes, and they have to serve them one after the other. For example, if someone gets 10 years for one crime and 5 years for another, they would have to serve a total of 15 years in jail. This is different from concurrent sentences, where the punishments are served at the same time.A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Consecutive sentences refer to two or more sentences of jail time that are to be served in sequence. For example, if a defendant receives consecutive sentences of 20 years and 5 years, the total amount of jail time is 25 years. Also known as cumulative or accumulative sentences.
Example: A defendant is found guilty of two separate crimes and is sentenced to 10 years in prison for the first crime and 15 years in prison for the second crime. If the judge orders the sentences to be served consecutively, the defendant will serve a total of 25 years in prison.
This example illustrates how consecutive sentences work. Instead of serving both sentences at the same time, the defendant must serve one sentence after the other, resulting in a longer total sentence.