Casey Anthony to Get Time Served for Lying?
As most Americans are wondering, now that the verdict has been reached, will Casey Anthony be released soon? And, will Casey Anthony's time served between her arrest and her sentencing mean she will be released as soon as today?
Anthony was recently acquitted of charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. Anthony was only convicted of four charges of providing false information to police officers.
Anthony will be sentenced on those four charges on Thursday. And, she very well may walk away a free woman, according to some legal experts.
For the four charges of lying to police, Anthony will only be facing a maximum of one year in prison for each of those charges, which is a maximum of four years. Anthony has been in jail since October 2008, after her arrest on first-degree murder charges, CBS News reports.
That means that Anthony has been in prison for more than two years. When defendants are sentenced, their sentences are often "reduced" by a certain amount that is determined by looking at how long they have already been in prison during their trial.
The sentencing judge will also look at a variety of factors, including Anthony's prior criminal history or lack of a criminal history, the nature of the crime and its impact, and the defendant's personal circumstances. The judge may even consider whether or not the defendant showed remorse.
Some legal experts say that Anthony is lucky that she is not being sentenced in a federal court. Federal judges can sentence defendants based on the crime the judge believes the defendant has covered up - even if the jury has acquitted the defendant of the crime. As a result, in federal court, the judge could have sentenced Anthony on murder charges even though the jury acquitted her of those charges.
But, since the case is in state court, Casey Anthony may be released very soon. And, Casey Anthony's time served will likely further reduce the jail time that is coming her way.
Related Resources:
- Why Casey Anthony Should Be Glad She Won't Be Sentenced in Federal Court (ABA Journal)
- Sentencing (FindLaw)
- Casey Anthony Verdict: She's Guilty...of Lying (FindLaw Blotter)
- Top 3 Reasons Casey Anthony Should Not Testify (FindLaw Blotter)