judicial concurrence with sentencing guidelines preliminary fy2009

Judicial Concurrence with Sentencing Guidelines

Preliminary FY2009

1.0%1.5%2.0%2.3%2.4%3.7%3.7%

4.8%

6.4%

8.4%

11.1%

20.8%

30.7%

0.7% 0.5%

DrugI/II Larceny Fraud Traffic Assault DrugOther Burg-Dwell Robbery Burg-Other Weapon SexAslt Misc Murder Rape Kidnap

Preliminary FY2009Guideline Worksheets Keyed as of 9/9/09

(n=16,476)

General Compliance

Preliminary FY2009

Preliminary FY2009 Judicial Agreement

with Guideline Recommendations

Overall Compliance Rate

Compliance80.0%

Mitigation10.0% Aggravation

10.0%

General Compliance:

The degree to which judges agree with the overall guidelines recommendation.

Direction of Departures

Mitigation50.0%

Aggravation50.0%

Preliminary FY2009 Judicial Agreement

with Type of Recommended DispositionDispositional Compliance:

The degree to which judges agree with the type of sanction recommended.

RECOMMENDED DISPOSITION

Probation/No Incarceration

Incarceration 6 months or less

Incarceration over 6 months

Probation / No Incarceration 70.1% 25.0% 4.9%

Incarceration 6 months or less 11.3% 78.3% 10.4%

Incarceration over 6 months 5.6% 7.8% 86.6%

ACTUAL DISPOSITION

Preliminary FY2009 Judicial Agreement with Sentence Length

Durational Compliance

Compliance80.4%

Mitigation10.1%

Aggravation9.5%

Durational Compliance:

The degree to which judges agree with the sentence length in cases in which defendants are recommended for jail/prison and receive at least one day incarceration.

Direction of Departures

Aggravation48.4%

Mitigation51.6%

Departure Reasons

Preliminary FY2009

Preliminary FY2009Most Frequently Cited Departure Reasons

Mitigation (10%)

• Plea agreement• Cooperated with authorities• Facts of case • Recommendation of CA• Sentenced to alternative• Minimal prior record• Offender health

Aggravation (10%)

• Plea agreement• Severity/type of prior record• Flagrancy of offense/facts of

case• Poor rehabilitation potential• Recommendation of jury• Current offense involved

drugs/alcohol• Degree of victim injury

Compliance by Circuit

Preliminary FY2009

4606.16.787.231Prince William Area

23211.610.378.030Lee Area

41216.05.678.429Buchanan Area

3504.64.690.928Bristol Area

6403.15.291.727Radford Area

8426.710.982.426Harrisonburg Area

5988.212.479.425Staunton Area

6209.815.075.224Lynchburg Area

6886.713.180.223Roanoke Area

44018.66.874.522Danville Area

2416.214.179.721Martinsville Area

3457.57.085.520Loudoun Area

81111.29.978.919Fairfax

2307.410.981.718Alexandria

29317.15.577.517Arlington Area

38713.29.677.316Charlottesville Area

112716.68.375.215Fredericksburg Area

7186.711.382.014Henrico

9736.514.079.513Richmond City

60013.510.376.212Chesterfield Area

17312.110.477.511Petersburg Area

4086.911.381.910South Boston Area

38719.46.574.29Williamsburg Area

3417.310.382.48Hampton

4726.88.584.77Newport News

29412.614.373.16Sussex Area

40813.28.877.95Suffolk Area

9629.814.975.44Norfolk

50613.48.378.33Portsmouth

9186.69.484.02Virginia Beach

59612.17.780.21Chesapeake

Number of CasesAggravationMitigationComplianceCircuit NumberCircuit Name

4606.16.787.231Prince William Area

23211.610.378.030Lee Area

41216.05.678.429Buchanan Area

3504.64.690.928Bristol Area

6403.15.291.727Radford Area

8426.710.982.426Harrisonburg Area

5988.212.479.425Staunton Area

6209.815.075.224Lynchburg Area

6886.713.180.223Roanoke Area

44018.66.874.522Danville Area

2416.214.179.721Martinsville Area

3457.57.085.520Loudoun Area

81111.29.978.919Fairfax

2307.410.981.718Alexandria

29317.15.577.517Arlington Area

38713.29.677.316Charlottesville Area

112716.68.375.215Fredericksburg Area

7186.711.382.014Henrico

9736.514.079.513Richmond City

60013.510.376.212Chesterfield Area

17312.110.477.511Petersburg Area

4086.911.381.910South Boston Area

38719.46.574.29Williamsburg Area

3417.310.382.48Hampton

4726.88.584.77Newport News

29412.614.373.16Sussex Area

40813.28.877.95Suffolk Area

9629.814.975.44Norfolk

50613.48.378.33Portsmouth

9186.69.484.02Virginia Beach

59612.17.780.21Chesapeake

Number of CasesAggravationMitigationComplianceCircuit NumberCircuit Name

Preliminary FY2009

Most cases received:

-Circuit 15 (Fredericksburg)

-Circuit 13 (Richmond)

-Circuit 4 (Norfolk)

Highest compliance:

-Circuit 27 (Radford) 91.7%

-Circuit 28 (Bristol) 90.9%

Lowest compliance:

-Circuit 6 (Sussex) 73.1%

Highest aggravation:

-Circuit 9 (Williamsburg) 19.4%

Highest mitigation:

-Circuit 24 (Lynchburg) 15%

Compliance by Type of Offense

Preliminary FY2009

Preliminary FY2009Compliance by Type of Offense

85.5 85.0 83.6 82.2 80.5 79.776.5 73.3 72.3 69.9 68.5 66.7 65.5

61.7 61.5

8.93.7 8.0 8.7

7.7 10.512.4

13.9 13.6 16.914.6

14.4

25.227.2

14.8

5.511.3 9.1 11.9 9.8 12.8 14.0 13.3

16.9 18.9

9.2 11.2

23.7

8.4 11.1

Fraud DrugOth Larceny DrugI/II Traffic BurgOth Weapon Assault Misc Kidnap BurgDwel SexAssau Rape Robbery Murder

Compliance Mitigation Aggravation

1,822 785 3,340 5,041 1,392 399 379 1,053 242 83 609 333 119 618 169

FY2009 Changes and Additions to Guidelines

Recommendation 1:Drug Crimes Accompanied by Weapons Offense Requiring

Mandatory Minimum

Recommendation 1

• Add a factor to Section C of the sentencing guidelines for Schedule I/II and other drugs to increase the prison sentence recommendation for offenders who have an accompanying weapons offense requiring a mandatory minimum term.

Additional 13 months on the midpoint for each 2-year mandatory minimum

Additional 32 months on the midpoint for each 5-year mandatory minimum

Recommendation 1Compliance for Drug Crimes Accompanied by

Weapons Offense Requiring Mandatory Minimum

FY03-06(n=653)

Compliance69%

Mitigation10%

Aggravation21%

FY09 Preliminary(n=87)*

Compliance79%

Mitigation8%

Aggravation13%

*Excludes 23 cases missing Section C worksheet.


Recommendation 2:False Statement on Firearm

Consent Form

Recommendation 2

• Revise the weapons guidelines to increase the likelihood that some offenders convicted of making a false statement on a criminal history consent form required for purchasing a firearm will be recommended for probation or up to six months of incarceration rather than incarceration for a term of more than six months.

• Changed the score for the primary offense on Section A of the Weapon/Firearm worksheet

Recommendation 2Compliance for Making a False Statement on a Consent Form

Required for Purchase of a Firearm

FY2007(n=66)

Compliance67%

Mitigation30%

Aggravation3%

FY2009 Preliminary(n=51)

Compliance82%

Mitigation14%

Aggravation4%


Recommendation 3:Child Abuse/Neglect Offenses

Recommendation 3 Compliance for New Guidelines Offenses:

Gross, wanton, or reckless care for a child (§18.2-371.1(B))& Cruelty and injuries to children (§40.1-103)


Compliance79%

Mitigation9%

Aggravation12%

Recommendation 3 Adjust points assigned to current child abuse/neglect

resulting in serious injury (§18.2-371.1(A))


Compliance48%

Mitigation14%

Aggravation38%

Majority of departures cite degree of victim

injury

Other Issues

Child Pornography & Solicitation of a Minor

FY2008 & Preliminary FY2009Child Pornography & Solicitation of a Minor

(n=184)

Compliance59%

Mitigation16%

Aggravation25%


(n=184)

Type of Offense Compliance Mitigation Aggravation Total Cases

Produce/make child porn, etc. 50.0% 25.0% 25.0% 24

Reproduce/sell child porn, etc. 64.7% 23.5% 11.8% 17

Possess child porn, 1st or 2nd 56.8% 31.8% 11.4% 44

Solicit minor using communication system 60.2% 6.1% 33.7% 99

FY2008 & Preliminary FY2009Possession of Child Pornography, 1st or 2nd offense

(n=44)

• Most offenders sentenced for possession of child porn– Multiple counts of primary offense

– No additional offenses

– No victim injury

– No significant prior record

• Most frequently cited mitigating departure reasons– Facts of the case

– Guidelines recommendation too high

– Plea agreement

– No serious prior record


(n=44)

Dispositional Compliance

Compliance68%

Mitigation16%

Aggravation16%

Durational Compliance

Compliance56%

Mitigation37%

Aggravation7%

Median 15 months below guidelines recommendation


(n=44)

Compliance by Number of Primary Offense Counts

1 count 2+ counts

Aggravation11.1

Aggravation11.5

Mitigation27.8 Mitigation

38.5

Compliance61.1 Compliance

50.0

+10.7%


(n=184)

Type of Offense Compliance Mitigation Aggravation Total Cases

Produce/make child porn, etc. 50.0% 25.0% 25.0% 24

Reproduce/sell child porn, etc. 64.7% 23.5% 11.8% 17

Possess child porn, 1st or 2nd 56.8% 31.8% 11.4% 44

Solicit minor using communication system 60.2% 6.1% 33.7% 99

FY2008 & Preliminary FY2009Solicitation of Minor Using Communication System

(n=99)

• Most offenders sentenced for solicitation of minor– Only 1 count of solicitation

– No victim injury

– No significant prior record

• Most frequently cited aggravating departure reasons– Plea agreement

– Flagrancy of the offense

– Poor rehabilitation potential


(n=99)

RECOMMENDED DISPOSITION

Probation/No Incarceration

Incarceration 6 months or less

Incarceration over 6 months

Probation / No Incarceration 32.6% 46.5% 20.9%

Incarceration 6 months or less 4.5% 50.0% 45.5%

Incarceration over 6 months 6.3% 3.1% 90.6%

ACTUAL DISPOSITION


Effective Sentence (Months)

Number of Cases

1.0 1

3.0 7

4.0 2

6.0 6

12.0 8

18.0 1

24.0 4

36.0 2

38.0 1

Total 32

•16 cases received incarceration <= 6 months

•3 of the 16 have an additional offense

Section B Aggravating Cases

•16 cases received incarceration > 6 months

•11 of the 16 have additional offense

•Additional offense is usually an indecent liberties or attempted indecent liberties

judicial concurrence with sentencing guidelines preliminary fy2009

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