"Suspended Sentence" in Criminal Cases – What Does It Mean?

A suspended sentence is where a judge sentences a defendant to jail or prison time, but then delays imposing the sentence in order to let ... “SuspendedSentence”inCriminalCases–WhatDoesItMean?SuspendedSentence»SuspendedSentencePostedonJanuary21,2022Asuspendedsentenceiswhereajudgesentencesadefendanttojailorprisontime,butthendelaysimposingthesentenceinordertoletthedefendantservetimeonprobation.Ifthedefendantcompletesprobationsuccessfully,thejudgetypicallydismissesthecasewithoutplacingthedefendantincustody.Butifthedefendantviolatesprobation,thejudgecanimposetheoriginalsentencethatwassuspended(whichmayincludejailorprisontime).Notethatasuspendedsentenceandprobationaretwodifferentthings.Asuspendedsentenceisatypeofcourt-imposedpenaltyforacrime.Probation,though,isatypeofalternativetojailwhereadefendantserveshissentenceinthecommunityunderthesupervisionofthejudgeoraprobationofficer.Asuspendedsentencetypicallymeansthataconvictionwillremainonaperson’scriminalrecord.Adifferentoutcomeoccurswithadeferredsentenceoronethatdoesnotresultinaguiltyconviction.Whathappenswhenasentenceissuspended?Asuspendedsentenceisatermofimprisonmentthatconvictedcriminaldefendantsdonothavetoserveprovidedthattheyabidebyallofthetermsoftheirprobation.1Ifdefendantssuccessfullycompleteprobation,thejudgeintheircasetypicallydismissesthesuspendedsentence.However,ifdefendantsviolateaprobationcondition,theresultcouldbeprobationrevocationandimpositionoftheoriginalsentence.2Consider,forexample,adefendantthatisconvictedofafirst-timemisdemeanorDUI.Thecriminallawsofmoststatessaythatthisoffensecarriesamaximumjailsentenceofsixmonthsoroneyear.Assumethejudgeimposesasentenceofsixmonths,butthensuspendsit,andplacesthedefendantonaperiodofprobationwithatermofattendingDUIschool.Ifthedefendantsuccessfullycompletestheschool,thejudgewilllikelydismissthesentenceandthedefendantwillnothavetogotojail.If,however,thedefendantfailstoattendclassesafteraperiodoftime,thejudgehasthediscretionto“un-suspend”thesentenceandsendthedefendanttojailforthefullsixmonths.Mostjurisdictionsgivejudgesthediscretiontograntordenysuspendedsentencesinthevastmajorityofcriminalcases.Indecidingwhetherornottograntasuspendedsentence,criminalcourtswillconsidersomeofthefollowing:thedefendant’scriminalrecordandcriminalhistory,theseriousnessofthecharges,andwhetherthedefendantisaflightriskorasafetyrisktothecommunity.Notethatsuspendedsentencesaretypicallynotgrantedincasesinvolvingseriouscrimes(forexamplemurder).Ifadefendantreceivesasuspendedsentence,itiscriticalforhim/hertoconsultwithacriminaldefenseattorneyorlawfirm.Thelawyerorfirmwillprovidelegaladvicetohelpensurethedefendantsuccessfullycompletesprobationandstaysoutofjailorprison.Keepinmindthatmostconversationswithalawyerareprotectedbytheattorney-clientrelationship.Thismeanspotentiallyembarrassinginformationcanstayoutofthepublicdomain.Whatdoesa10-yearsentencewith5suspendedmean?Inthisscenario,ajudgesentencesadefendanttoa10-yearjailorprisonterm.Butthejudgethenimposesfiveyearsinconfinementandallowsthedefendanttoservetheremainingfiveyearsonprobation.Thefiveyearsinconfinementisoftenreferredtoasthe“executionofasentence”orthe“executedpart”ofthesentence.Thefiveyearsonprobationisoftenreferredtoasthe“unexecutedpart”ofthesentence.Ifthedefendantviolatesatermoftheprobationwithinthesecondhalfofthe10-yearsentence,he/shewillgobacktojailorprisonfortheremainderofthesentence.Thistypeofsentencearrangementisoftenreferredtoasa“splitsentence.”3Isasuspendedsentencethesameasprobation?No.Asuspendedsentenceisapunishmentorderedbythecourtthatgetssuspendedsothatadefendantcanserveprobation.Probation,itself,isanalternativetojailinwhichthedefendantservesoutasentenceorpartofthesentence(forinstance,twoyears)inthecommunityasopposedtobehindbars.4Theprobationermustcomplywithcertaintermsandconditionswhileonprobation.Dependingonthetypeofprobation,thedefendantmustmeetperiodicallywiththejudgeoraprobationofficertoreportoncompliance.5Examplesofprobationconditionsincludethatadefendant:performcommunityservice,attendaDUIschool,adheretocurfews,seekgainfulemployment,and/ornotviolateanyotherlaws.Whenadefendantonasuspendedsentenceviolatesprobation,thejudgemayremandhim/hertojail.Doesasuspendedsentencemeanacriminalrecord?Yes.Asuspendedsentenceusuallystaysonaperson’scriminalrecord.Note,though,thatadeferredsentencewillusuallynotresultinacriminalrecord.Adeferredsentenceiswhenadefendantpleadsguiltytoacrime,butthejudgedelaysentryofthepleaandplacesthedefendantonprobation.Ifthepersonsuccessfullycompletesprobation,thenthejudgechangestheinitialpleaofguiltytonotguilty.However,ifthedefendantviolatesprobation,thenthejudgemayentertheguiltyplea.Inthisevent,theconvictionwillgoontheperson’scriminalrecord.WhatisthelawinCalifornia?Californialawgenerallyfollowstherulesanddiscussionoutlinedabove.NotethatwhenaCaliforniajudgegrantsprobation,he/sheissupposedtoindicatewhether:impositionofasentenceissuspended(referredtoas“ISS”),orthesentenceisimposed,buttheexecutionofthesentenceissuspended(referredtoas(“ESS”).6IfISS,thenthejudgeputsanoffenderonprobationwithoutgivingasentence.Ifthepersonthenviolatesprobation,thejudgecaneither:reinstateprobation(usuallywithharsherconditions),ororderasentence.Ifthelatter,thejudgecanimposeanysentencethathe/shecouldhaveatthetimeoftheprobationorder.IfESS,ajudgegivesasentenceatthetimeoforderingprobation.Thejudge,though,suspendsitsexecution.Ifadefendantlaterviolatesprobation,thejudgecaneither:reinstateprobation,orimposeasentence.Ifthelatter,thejudgecanonlyimposethesentencethathe/shesuspended.UnlikewithanISS,thejudgeisnotfreetoimposeanysentenceauthorizedbylaw.KeepinmindthattherearetwotypesofprobationinCalifornia.Theseare:misdemeanor(orsummary)probation,andfelony(orformal)probation.Informalprobationisgrantedinmisdemeanorcaseswhileformalprobationisgiveninfelonycases.LegalReferences:Black’sLawDictionary,SixthEdition–“SuspendedSentence.”Seesame.SeealsoRichardsv.Crump194S.E.2d575(1973).See,forexample,Black’sLawDictionary,SixthEdition–“SplitSentence.”Black’sLawDictionary,SixthEdition–“Probation.”See,forexample,Statev.Fields,686P.2d1379(1984).See,forexample,CaliforniaPenalCode1203PC.SeealsoCaliforniaRulesofCourt,Rule4.433–Matterstobeconsideredatthetimesetforsentencing.AbouttheAuthorNeilShouseAformerLosAngelesprosecutor,attorneyNeilShousegraduatedwithhonorsfromUCBerkeleyandHarvardLawSchool(andcompletedadditionalgraduatestudiesatMIT).HehasbeenfeaturedonCNN,GoodMorningAmerica,DrPhil,CourtTV,TheTodayShowandCourtTV.MrShousehasbeenrecognizedbytheNationalTrialLawyersasoneoftheTop100CriminalandTop100CivilAttorneys.GetQuickLegalHelp...Thisformisencryptedandprotectedbyattorney-clientconfidentiality.Name*Phone*Email*Citywherecaseislocated*Telluswhathappened*Pleaseattachanycitations,bookingsheets,policereportsorotherrelevantdocuments.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.ΔFeaturedonCriminalDefenseBlogPosts:WhyYouNeedYourOwnCriminalDefenseLawyerinAlamedaCounty,CaliforniaIfyouarechargedwithacrimeinAlamedaCounty,California,youshouldhireyourownAlamedaCountycriminaldefenselawyer.RelyingonanAlamedaCountyPublicDefenderinsteadofyourownprivateattorneyisariskyproposition.“Youhavetherighttoanattorney.Ifyoucan’taffordanattorney,onewillbeappointed...FalselyAccusedofRape–HowtoDefendYourselfFalseaccusationsofrapeoccurwhenanaccuserclaimstobeavictim,butinactuality,norapeevertookplace.Manyofthesecasesturnouttobehesaid/shesaidscenarioswheretherearenoindependentwitnessesorothercorroboration.Whenthisoccurs,thereareanumberoflegaldefensestrategiesthat...BailInformationandProceduresforJailsinLasVegas,Reno,LaughlinandthroughoutNevadaIfthepersonisincustodyattheCCDCforacaseinLasVegasJusticeCourt,youmaypostbailatthePre-trialServiceswindowintheCCDC,whichisopenfrom8a.m.tomidnighteveryday.Youmaypostbailincash,cashier’scheck,ormoneyorder.Unlikemostotherjails,the...WhencanIsealmyjuvenilerecordinNevada?Itdepends.Mostjuveniledelinquenciesareautomaticallysealedoncethepersonturns21.Butsomerecordsmayneverbesealed.1.WhendoesNevadalawsaythatajuvenilerecordcangetsealed?WhensomeonegetsadjudgeddelinquentasajuvenileinNevada,thedelinquencygoesonthatchild’sjuvenilerecord.Whenthechildturns...ContactOurFirmThisformisencryptedandprotectedbyattorney-clientconfidentiality.Name*Phone*Email*Citywherecaseislocated*Telluswhathappened*Pleaseattachanycitations,bookingsheets,policereportsorotherrelevantdocuments.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.Attachanotherfileifneeded.ΔMenu24/7Help:(866)361-0010MessageUs