Michigan Supreme Court Strikes Down Mandatory Minimums
The Michigan Supreme Court has dealt a blow to Michigan’s mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. For people convicted of or that have plead guilty to a felony, Judges impose sentences based upon guidelines that are weight based upon the Offense Variable (OV) and the Prior Record Variable (PRV). Thankfully the Michigan Supreme Court has put a stop to this (after 16 years). The Court made the mandatory minimums “advisory” meaning judges can depart from the guidelines with more frequency, instead of the one size fits system that has resulted in Michigan putting more people in prison for longer sentences than any of the surrounding states.
This latest opinion comes as the both Congress and Michigan legislature debates reforms to mandatory minimum sentencing.
