Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Shooting "Accident"
Last week a twenty-year old man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon in the shooting death of his sister's best friend nearly a year ago. The defendant claimed the incident was an accident. At his Nevada sentencing hearing he apologized, and the judge imposed a penalty of up to six years in prison.
A Nevada sentencing hearing occurs near the end of a criminal case after the defendant has been found guilty of a crime or pleaded guilty (or no contest) to a crime. The purpose of the hearing is to determine what punishments the defendant will be sentenced to. Standard penalties include prison, community service, fines, restitution, probation, or educational classes.
Sentencing hearings for misdemeanor crimes tend to be very short and occur right after the guilty plea or verdict. But a Nevada sentencing hearing for a felony usually occurs several weeks after the conviction and may last many hours. The defense typically calls family and friends to plead for leniency, while the state may call victims and victims' families to ask for a harsh sentence.
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