Assignment:
Question 1. Justify the constraints placed on judges by guidelines-based and mandatory sentencing schemes. Provide a rationale for your response.
Question 2. There are three (3) types of defendants that cannot receive the death penalty: a) those under 18; b) those who are mentally ill; and c) those who received ineffective assistance of counsel. Discuss whether or not these restrictions are adhered to in real life. Provide specific examples of popular instances where these types of defendants were indeed executed.
Question 3. Analyze the role that the victim impact statement plays in the sentencing phase of a criminal trial. Determine one (1) benefit for the judge and one (1) benefit for the victim when this type of statement is included in trial proceedings.
Question 4. Choose two (2) disparities mentioned in Chapter 10 of the text that you believe commonly affect the outcome of most court trials during the sentencing phase. Describe at least two (2) scenarios where the chosen disparities had lessened the impact of the sentence imposed.