James Holmes, Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to more than three thousand years in prison, adding to 12 lifetimes. That sounds lenient because he avoided the death sentence. What is the longest prison sentence, then? This is the fourth longest sentence in US history.
Top 5 longest prison sentences
- Charles Scott Robinson: 30,000 years
Charles Scott Robinson, an Oklahoma child rapist, is holding the record of the longest-serving jail term for one person on multiple accounts. Robinson, on December 23, 1994, got a sentence of 30,000 years imprisonment. Five thousand years each for six charges.
- Allan Wayne McLaurin: 21,250 years
What is the longest prison sentence for an accomplice? As the accomplice of Daron Bennalfor Anderson, McLaurin received the most excellent jail time because of an appeal. He was found guilty of crimes ranging from raping older women to kidnapping, robbery, and larceny. He won a new trial after appeal but was convicted again, only that he got a new sentence of 11,250 years, as compared to the initial 2,200 years. He had another appeal in 1997 and got parole for the year 12744.
- Dudley Wayne Kyzer: 10,000 years
Dudley Wayne Kyzer of Alabama was sentenced to ten thousand years for murdering his wife in 1981. He was also convicted of killing a college student and mother-in-law who had visited the house on Halloween in 1976. He got life sentences for each murder added to his ten thousand years. To justify the verdict, the judge named it brutality of the murder and has been denied parole nine times.
- James Eagan Holmes: 12 life sentences and 3,318 years without parole
Holmes injured 70 people and killed 12 at a movie theater 2012 in Aurora. He got a 12-life term for every murder, added to 3.318 years for additional attempted murder counts. He got one count for possessing illegal explosives and another sentence for enhancing the crime of violence.
- Bobbie Joe Long: 28 life sentences, 99 years, and one death sentence
Bobbie Joe Long got among the longest-prison-sentences in Florida. He got 28 life sentences and 99 years imprisonment, plus a death sentence for raping more than 50 women and murdering 25 among them. He was answering small classified adverts for appliances, and if he got a woman at home alone, he raped her.
Sending people to prison for sentences that are longer than their lives seems strange, but sentences spanning thousands and hundreds of years can result from the jury’s verdict. Mandatory laws combine with mandatory sentencing at the discretion of the judge on the nature of the crimes.
Criminal Cases
Even though LegaMart can advise you on criminal matters, everybody needs to know criminal justice basics in the country where they live. This article has listed the longest prison sentences and how the court orders them, but the criminal system structure is crucial when moving toward prison sentences.
Criminal Procedure
When someone commits a crime, the first thing to do is to file a complaint with the police. After lodging a cognizable complaint in the station, the person might be arrested and presented to the magistrate within 24 hours. However, if the offense is incognizable, they might get sermons after the case has been presented before the magistrate.
After service of the summons or arrest, the case starts formally if the magistrate says that the prosecution has enough grounds to suspect the defendant. Initially, the defendant of the crime gets charged, and the charges are held in the charge sheet, and you will have to prove every crime beyond a reasonable doubt before they are held guilty.
The representing authority of the victim is called the crown prosecutor service. The magistrate will preside over small cases, but the crown court will handle serious care. It is possible to transfer some cases from the magistrate to the crown court after conviction if the sentence exceeds the power given to the magistrate court. Conviction is the formal decision of holding the accused responsible for the crime.
The magistrate court has up to three judges presiding over cases, but the crown court has one judge. When a case gets to the crown court, it may get adjourned on the first day if the accused pleads not guilty. After getting the details of the case and setting the trial date, the court will instruct the prosecution to be ready for trial. Prosecutors will confirm and fulfill the case requirements. Otherwise, the case will be deemed weak, and charges dropped.
The proof burden is on the prosecution to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond suspicion; if there are glimpses of doubt before the court, the defendant will be innocent, acquitted, and the charges dropped.
Sentencing
If the defendant is proven guilty, the next move is to sentence him. Sentencing differs across different cases and is held at the judge’s discretion. Two punishments are given in the process of sentencing; a fine or imprisonment. You can also get both of them.
The magistrate court handles cases with sentences of up to twelve months, while the crown court has a maximum period of five years. However, the crown court can extend this period. In particular, only the license element of a sentence can extend. A custodial sentence can also be served for at least two-thirds of the awarded time before the convict’s release on parole.
Final Thoughts
When you get convicted for more than two crimes and are sent to prison, you will get a sentence for each offense. Therefore, it is the magistrate’s discretion to inform you if you will serve the term consecutively or concurrently. To get the best answer to the question of what is the longest prison sentence it is good to begin by understanding the terms of service. Concurrent sentences will have you serve the term simultaneously, while consecutive terms will require you to serve one term after the other.
You can only serve a life sentence if you commit a serious crime like murder. The court can also give life sentences to crimes like armed robbery and rape. The victim spends the rest of his life in prison. Indeterminate sentences refer to non-specified penalties. The release of offenders is based on behavior and progress while incarcerated. The parole board will determine the length of the sentence.
