Let the Punishment Fit the Crime in the State of California

1310 Words3 Pages

The Punishment

After having been arrested and charged with the killing of my children’s father, I was subsequently convicted of first degree murder, PC§187a (CA Codes). The sentencing guidelines, here in California, require a judge to adhere to PC§190a which states that, “Every person guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life (CA Codes). I had serious concern toward the possibility of falling under PC§190.2a which asserts that, “The penalty for a defendant who is found guilty of murder in the first degree is death or imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole if one or more of the following special circumstances has been found under Section 190.4 to be true” (CA Codes). I was disconcerted with the fact that PC§190.4(14) was an enhancement that had been examined. This implied that my actions may have carried a tortuous value (CA Codes). I recognize the factors of my being a young, white female with no previous criminal record as likely having carried a heavily weighted value. Ultimately, I was sentenced (punished) by the county of Sacramento to 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. This was the preferred sentence, in my opinion, as it could have been much harsher if not for the Judge’s discretion. As for my future, it is now being shaped by the criminal justice system.
My sentence has been put into place as an individual punishment based upon my actions, yet there is so much more to it than that. Several perceptions towards how and why a criminal should be punished have been acknowledged over the years. Today, there are t...

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