For the Defense - Vol. 3, Issue 4 - 44
How to Anticipate,
Prevent and Move
to Correct Illegal
Sentences
Nicole Sloane
A
t this moment, confined in county jails and
state prisons across Pennsylvania, there are
inmates serving illegal sentences. This
article discusses what I have found to be the most
frequently imposed illegal sentences. I hope that
by sharing with you the questions that I ask myself
before every sentencing hearing, I can help you
prevent them.
What Time Credit Is My Client
Entitled To?
The failure to award time credit is the most
common illegal sentence that I encounter.1 By
statute, criminal defendants are entitled to credit
for all time spent in custody because of the criminal
44
For The Defense
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Vol. 3, Issue 4
charge for which the prison sentence is imposed.2
A claim that the sentencing court neglected to
order credit for time served implicates the legality
of a sentence.3 I have reviewed records of inmates
who were represented by many of the most
respected criminal defense attorneys only to find
that counsel failed to request (and the sentencing
court declined to award) credit for time served.
In many counties, time credit is calculated
by someone other than the sentencing judge.
Regardless of who calculates the credit, it is
necessary to review the sentencing order for
accuracy. For clients sentenced to a state prison
sentence, it may also be necessary to review the
DC300B sent to the Departments of Corrections
to look for clerical errors or omissions, especially
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Vol. 3, Issue 4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol8_issue2_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol8_issue1_2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol7_issue3_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol7_issue2_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol7_issue1_2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol6_issue3_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol6_issue2_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol6_issue1_2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol5_issue3_2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol5_issue2_2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol5_issue1_2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol4_issue4_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol4_issue3_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol4_issue2_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol4_issue1_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol3_issue4_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol3_issue3_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol3_issue2_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/PACDL/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol3_issue1_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pacdl/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol2_issue4_2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pacdl/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol2_issue3_2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pacdl/FORTHEDEFENSE_vol2_issue1_2017
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