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The Effect Of External Pressures On Sentencing Judges, Eve Kunen
The Effect Of External Pressures On Sentencing Judges, Eve Kunen
Fordham Urban Law Journal
Aldoupolis v. Commonwealth illustrates three potential types of pressure on a sentencing judge: public opinion, opinions voiced by influential political figures, and opinions expressed by the press. This Comment explores the question of whether a sentencing judge may consider any of these pressures without violating the constitutional principles of procedural due process, the proscription against cruel and unusual punishment, equal protection, double jeopardy, and the common law-statutory proscription against abuse of discretion. Emphasis will be placed on public opinion, which often parallels the voices of those least heard by the criminal justice system: the victims.