guilty verdict

[gilly100788]

If someone pleads not guilty but is found guilty do they get a longer sentence if they are sent to prison,and do they get any time off ie for good behavour or do they have to do the whole sentence.thanx

[ummmm]

They won't get a longer sentence...they will just have to serve more time of it.

[gilly100788]

thanks for that, so if they pleaded guilty in first place they would get that same sentence is that correct ? sorry to be a bit thick but trying to get my head around this, ! and would they get any time off for say good behavour

[sara3]

they will get a longer sentence.

pleading guilty at the first opportunity gets an automatic 1/3 of any sentencing (prison/fines etc). the later you plead guilty the reduction is less.

if it goes to trial on a not guilty plea, and found guilty, you get the whole sentence with no reductions, plus costs will be higher (as a trial takes a lot of time and expense).

[ummmm]

Are they guilty?

If you plead guilty I think you get a 1/3 off. Time off for good behaviour, and they also have the early release (depending on the crime) where you're tagged.

[gilly100788]

Thanks for all your answers youve been a great help,

[gilly100788]

Thank you for all of your answers have a good christmas.

[gilly100788]

Well if any one else has any thing else they can advise me off,then let me know ! i need all the helpfull answers i can get !

[gilly100788]

it is football related...

[gilly100788]

its the same thing ! Its still on going from last february !! only just being bought to trial.

[New Judge]

It has been correctly explained that an early guilty plea attracts a maximum of a third off any sentence. As time goes on this discount is reduced. A defendant entering a guilty plea “at the door of the court” on trial day (i.e. after all the witnesses have turned up) will get 5 to 10% off.

However, there is no such thing as time off for “good behaviour” now. Prisoners serve a half of their sentence inside and the other half out on licence. Their behaviour when in prison does not alter this (unless they misbehave so badly so as to attract further criminal charges, which would be sentenced separately). The “good behaviour” discount was abandoned some years ago. Up to then prison governors could order “loss of remission” for bad behaviour, but this was ruled unacceptable because, perversely in my opinion, such action was deemed to be the imposition of an additional punishment. As prison governors did not form a properly convened tribunal their power to reduce the period of remission was removed.