sentencing phase
Post-conviction penalty stage
The sentencing phase is the portion of a criminal trial, after a guilty verdict, when punishment is determined.
In capital cases, the jury reconvenes to weigh aggravating and mitigating factors before deciding between death and life imprisonment: The defense presented childhood trauma evidence during the sentencing phase.
In non-capital cases, judges typically handle sentencing separately.
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- allocutionFormal speech, especially pre-sentencing
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guilty pleaAdmitting criminal responsibility
- judgeOne who decides
jury · defendant · mitigating circumstances · aggravating circumstances · incarceration · deliberation · probation · parole · lawyer · sworn testimony · appeal · criminal history · criminal record · judicial discretion · defense attorney · victim impact statement · prison term · mandatory minimum
- executionexecution, lethal injection, firing squad, gas chamber, electric chair
sentencing phasetrial phase
Testing stage before approval
preliminary hearing · arraignment · indictment · arrest · grand jury proceedings
sentencing phaseacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
dismissal · charges dropped · mistrial · pretrial detention · indictment
sentence, sentencing, sentenced, sentences, phase, phases, phased, phasing, sent