Attorney Norman Sirak of Ohio is currently pursuing a class action lawsuit on behalf of Pennsylvania Inmates against the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons and Paroles. This lawsuit is based upon grounds of civil rights and is being filed in Federal Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a legal haymaker that has sent the criminal sentencing world reeling... Various commentators have warned that the Blakely decision will call into question thousands of criminal sentences... Although Blakely packs the punch of a heavyweight champ for the federal system and many state sentencing systems, it barely laid a glove on Pennsylvania's guidelines...
Pennsylvania's guidelines limit the judge's discretion only concerning the minimum sentence. Pennsylvania's guidelines say nothing about the maximum sentence, which can be as high as the statutory maximum. Pennsylvania judges, unlike federal judges, are not required to find facts in order to increase a defendant's maximum sentence. So the Pennsylvania system provides needed sentencing guidance while largely avoiding the problems the Supreme Court discussed...
While the Supreme Court has left some criminal justice systems dazed and their sentencing guidelines in danger of collapse, the Pennsylvania guidelines remain standing.
All people make mistakes. No one is exempt from error in their lives. When a bad choice takes place in one’s life, consequences soon follow. Unfortunately, some mistakes are illegal and the judicial system has a duty to invoke punishment so that a debt to society is paid. When I committed my mistake..{continue reading}
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Named Plaintiff in the class action lawsuit, please click HERE to open and read an Invitation to Join from Attorney Sirak.
You may also choose to pay by check or money order. After you have joined our litigation, we will be mailing out a client questionnaire. Once your questionnaire is returned, our Canton office will become your primary contact.