The sentencing of a Strong-Armed Robbery-A Reflection

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A 30-year old man was convicted of third-degree robbery following his attack on a young mother who was in the company of her infant. The jury found him to be guilty of the crime. If I were the judge responsible for imposing a sentence, I would sentence him to one (1) year jail time and six months probation or a fine of USD 5,000. I came to the conclusion that this would be a justified punishment after carefully considering factors such as the charge itself, injury caused to the victim, prior criminal history, and the victim’s sentence recommendation, among other factors.

In my opinion, a sentence of having the offender serving one year jail time and six months probation or a fine of 5,000 dollars is justified because it is in line with the state recommendation. The law recommends a probation sentence with the possibility of a jail term for strong-arm robbery. If the man had used a weapon during the attack, he would have received a sentence of up to three (3) years in jail. Secondly, the fact the offender does not have a prior criminal history also helped inform my decision. I agree that robbery is a serious crime but worth noting, being the first time the offender is convicted of a crime shows that the guy is not a repeat offender. I believe the conditions surrounding his life might have led to this crime. Although this is not a justification for his behavior, there is a need to correct the behavior. Further, it had been reported that the offender had recently lost his job at a shopping store. Also, background checks showed that the guy had worked various odd jobs, and all through, he managed to maintain a clean record with all his employers. The offender has only a high secondary education and holds strong family ties. Despite all these factors that point to the offender’s innocence, the victim is requesting jail time because she fears her life. I am confident that this decision will help correct the behavior of the offender and, at the same time, keep the victim safe.