Legal Definitions - sentence-package rule

The sentence-package rule is a principle in criminal procedure that allows a court to reconsider and potentially change a defendant's entire sentence when that sentence was originally imposed as a single, combined penalty for multiple criminal convictions, and the defendant later successfully challenges only some of those convictions.

In essence, if a defendant successfully overturns one or more, but not all, of the convictions that formed the basis of their original "package" sentence, the court has the authority to resentence them on the remaining valid convictions, even if those remaining convictions were not directly challenged. The underlying idea is that the original sentence was a unified whole, and removing a part of it can disrupt the court's original sentencing plan, making a full resentencing necessary to ensure justice for the remaining offenses.

• Imagine a defendant, Mr. Harrison, is found guilty of two separate crimes: felony theft (Count 1) and receiving stolen property (Count 2). The judge imposes a single, combined sentence of eight years in prison, considering both convictions together as a "package." Mr. Harrison later appeals his conviction for felony theft and wins, meaning that specific conviction is overturned. However, his conviction for receiving stolen property remains valid. Under the sentence-package rule, even though only one part of his conviction was overturned, the court can now resentence him for the remaining valid conviction of receiving stolen property. The original eight-year sentence, which was based on both crimes, is no longer considered appropriate, and the court can issue a new sentence for the remaining crime.

• Consider Ms. Chen, who is convicted of three counts related to a financial scheme: wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. The court imposes an aggregate sentence of ten years in prison, intending this sentence to cover all three offenses. Ms. Chen appeals her conviction for money laundering, arguing a procedural error, and the appellate court agrees, overturning that specific conviction. The convictions for wire fraud and mail fraud, however, are upheld. Because the original ten-year sentence was a package deal for all three crimes, the sentence-package rule allows the court to revisit and resentence Ms. Chen for the remaining two valid convictions (wire fraud and mail fraud), rather than simply reducing the original sentence proportionally. The court can now craft a new sentence that reflects the remaining offenses.

• Suppose Mr. Davis is convicted of aggravated assault (Count 1) and possession of an unregistered firearm (Count 2) stemming from a single incident. The judge imposes a combined sentence of fifteen years, viewing the two offenses as interconnected. Mr. Davis successfully appeals his conviction for aggravated assault, with the appellate court finding insufficient evidence to support that charge. His conviction for possession of an unregistered firearm, however, stands. Due to the sentence-package rule, the trial court is not simply obligated to remove the portion of the sentence attributable to aggravated assault. Instead, it can reconsider the entire sentencing scheme and impose a new, appropriate sentence for the remaining valid conviction of possession of an unregistered firearm, recognizing that the original fifteen-year sentence was designed to punish both offenses as a unified whole.