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Sentencing

Home » The Prosecutorial Process » Sentencing

judge reading a verdictSentencing is a court hearing where the judge determines punishment.

There are a variety of punishments

With a felony conviction the defendant may be sentenced to probation instead of being incarcerated in a state prison. The defendant may be ordered to serve local custody time, (county jail), as a term of probation. If any one person violates their probation, they may be sent to prison for the duration of time for their original crime.

Formal probation is when an individual is supervised by a probation officer. Informal or summary probation is unsupervised.

If probation is not granted, a term of incarceration is certain to follow for serious crimes. The final word is within the judge’s broad discretion.

Sometimes sentences can be modified

Sentencing modifications occur when part of a person’s sentence becomes inapplicable to their case. A few alternatives to jail that might be negotiated are:

  • Deter programs
  • Electronic home monitoring
  • Residential treatment centers
  • Counseling
  • Weekend work programs
  • Community service

Independent consequences

Any sentence imposed by the court can have a number of independent consequences. These consequences can include, but are not limited to:

  • Loss of the right to vote
  • Loss of the right to possess a firearm of any kind
  • Loss of the right to associate with known criminals
  • Registration as a sex offender
  • Increased penalties for future criminal convictions

Any number of these consequences may be removed, only in certain instances, by an expungement or on a motion to the court.

Law Office of Thomas Baynton PLLC
PO Box 230096
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 456-6100
Fax: (616) 239-3046
Email: [email protected]
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Website and all contents Copyright © 2025 The Law Office of Thomas Baynton PLLC, All rights reserved.

  • Home
  • Firm Profile
  • Criminal Defense Law
    ▼
    • Drinking & Driving
    • Driver’s License Restoration
    • Know Your Rights
    • Booking Procedures
    • Retaining an Attorney
    • The Prosecutorial Process
      ▼
      • Pre-Arrest Investigations
      • Decision to Charge
      • Filing the Complaint
      • Preliminary Hearings
      • Arraignment of the Indictment
      • Pre-Trial Conference or Motion
      • Trial
      • Sentencing
      • Appeals
      • Parole
      • Expungement
    • Resources
  • Bankruptcy
    ▼
    • Bankruptcy FAQs
    • Bankruptcy Information
    • Resources
  • Divorce & Family Law
  • Estate Planning
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us