CRIMINAL LAW

You are the sentencing judge for the hypothetical cases listed below. You have complete discretion to impose sentences. Make sure to explain what factors you considered in making your decision. Any opinion you provide must be supported by the factors that you used to reach your decision, as per Chapter 8.

Case.01: A college student pleads guilty to selling marijuana after he sold a small bag of dope (sandwich bag size) to an undercover police officer outside of a bar on a Saturday night. The student has no prior criminal record, is the son of a Presbyterian minister, and is an honors student in philosophy. The penalty for committing this crime, which is an A misdemeanor, is time served, up to 1 year in jail, 3 years probation, community service, treatment and/or a fine.

Case.02: A woman pleads guilty to the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. She lived with her three children in a rundown apartment building. She and her children were supported by food stamps and other forms of government assistance. When her three-year-old daughter seemed to have a fever one night, the woman went downstairs to the busy intersection and hailed a cab. The cab driver refused to take her and the child to the hospital because she had no money. While arguing with the cab driver on the sidewalk, she pushed the driver, grabbed his car keys, and drove her daughter to the hospital. According to the hospital, there was nothing wrong with her daughter. The woman entered a plea of guilty to the unauthorized use of an automobile. She has two prior convictions for misdemeanor shoplifting. The penalty for being convicted of this crime, which is an A misdemeanor, is time served, up to 1 year in jail, 3 years probation, community service, treatment and/or a fine.