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UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

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Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#3

Why not 1000 years? These numbers are just stupid at this point. Just say life in prison.

Please get educated about how law works so you dont feel compelled to comment on things you obviously are not familiar with.

There is a reason why we just dont say “life in prison”.

Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#4

Why not 1000 years? These numbers are just stupid at this point. Just say life in prison.

From a non-US point of view, it is indeed a very surprising aspect of the US legal system.

Making jail time linear seems like a strange fit for finite human lives. Are there many other legal systems in the world that work like this ?

Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#6

Why not 1000 years? These numbers are just stupid at this point. Just say life in prison.

The years demonstrate the amount and magnitude of the errors. If a punishment was life in prison, and the person had done two of those, that’s two life sentences. For example, if someone was facing 519 years for the same crimes as above professor, it would indicate the amount of which they have been accused of. A person can commit much more crime than a remaining lifetime worth(75 years realistic max)of imprisonment time. Similar to el chapo being charged more than a sicario, even though the sicario would have most likely done things that if convicted also warrant life in prison.

Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#7
post #4

Why not 1000 years? These numbers are just stupid at this point. Just say life in prison.

From a non-US point of view, it is indeed a very surprising aspect of the US legal system. Making jail time linear seems like a strange fit for finite human lives. Are there many other legal systems in the world that work like this ?

Aren't these large numbers just the sum of the maximum jail time for each of the charges? How are multiple charges handled in other countries?

Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#8
post #4

Why not 1000 years? These numbers are just stupid at this point. Just say life in prison.

From a non-US point of view, it is indeed a very surprising aspect of the US legal system. Making jail time linear seems like a strange fit for finite human lives. Are there many other legal systems in the world that work like this ?

[deleted]

Re: UCLA professor stole missile secrets for China, faces 219 years in prison

#10
post #7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From a non-US point of view, it is indeed a very surprising aspect of the US legal system. Making jail time linear seems like a strange fit for finite human lives. Are there many other legal systems in the world that work like this ?

Aren't these large numbers just the sum of the maximum jail time for each of the charges? How are multiple charges handled in other countries?

Yes, in the US and most of continental Europe, multiple charges are usually first summed, then sentence determination is done by court order and then penal enforcement rules kick in after the verdict (2 years sentenced does not always mean 2 years served). A 1000 years' sentence has a greater non-parole duration than a life with parole; it is likely that he will serve life with no parole. IANAL, though.
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