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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Ricky

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Ricky: You have your arrest, arraignment, pre trial, and trial. You can be arrested for a number of things, including a new charge, a warrant, or failure to pay fines from a previous charge. At your arraignment, Depending on the severity of a charge you can be granted bail, ranging from personal recognizance, surety or cash bail. You can also be held without bail. During your arraignment, you also can be assigned a public defender if you cannot pay for an attorney. Your pre-trial consists of the prosecutor and your lawyer or PD bargaining for what is known as a "deal" if no suitable arrangement can Be agreed upon, or if your innocent you can eventually take it to trial. Depending on the outcome of the trial you can either be found innocent or guilty- if you are found guilty a sentence and or fines are imposed.

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Ricky: No. I was caught committing a crime. I was shoplifting from a store and I was caught by store security. I was already on probation, and had what is know as a "suspended sentence" hanging over my head. I violated the terms of my probation and suspended sentence by acquiring a new charge, and the suspended sentence was partially imposed... I had a year suspended sentence, but I was only sentenced to serve half that, on top of penalties for my new charge.

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Ricky: My charge was a misdemeanor, which means I had to go to district court. Had it of been a felony, I would of gone to superior court. I spent the night in the providence jail and was shackled and escorted to providence district court In the morning. I spent most of the day in holding cells under the courthouse. They were dirty and overcrowded. Groups of us were shackled together, and led up to the courtroom where our charges were read, and we went before a judge individually.

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
Ricky: My original charges were felony shoplifting and possession of a controlled substance. I was convicted of misdemeanor shoplifting and sentenced to a tears probation and a years suspended sentence. 6 moths of my original sentence of a year and a year was also imposed.

Read about sentencing in the Providence County Prison