Why do criminals sentenced to jail for misdemeanors only serve half of their time?
I don’t know the answer to this question. This “rule” or operation of law makes absolutely no sense to me and has perturbed me since I began practicing criminal law. The “rule” – when applied – reduces by half misdemeanor sentences. For example, a ten (10) month sentence for domestic assault becomes an actual sentence of five (5) months. The net effect of this “rule” is to drastically revise the Class 1 misdemeanor scheme by reducing Class 1 misdemeanors to Class 2 misdemeanors, which by statute are capped at six (6) months punishment. Stated otherwise: For the majority of Class 1 misdemeanors, there is no punishment that meets the statutory scheme promised victims. It strikes me as fraudulent to have a misdemeanor criminal justice system that pretends to punish a defendant with a sentence that is only 50% accurate. Almost 20 years ago, sentencing reform changes a system of parole in favor of “truth in sentencing” for felony offenses. It is way past time for “truth-in-sentencing” to vi
