Circuit Court Case Cycle - Pre-sentence Report

If the defendant is convicted by verdict or plea, he or she is then interviewed Probation Department and a report called the Pre-sentence Investigation Report is written.

This report contains social and criminal background information about the defendant.

The victim is also contacted and asked for an Impact Statement. This is an opportunity for the victim and sometimes family members to express their feelings about the case and what other effects the experience has had on them. This is also an opportunity for the victim to comment on what kind of a sentence the Judge should impose.

When all this information is compiled into the Pre-sentence Report, the Probation Department recommends a sentence to the Judge. This report is available only to the defendant, defense attorney, Assistant Prosecutor, and the Judge.

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