{"id":85834,"date":"2019-01-05T14:45:22","date_gmt":"2019-01-05T19:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sentencing.net\/?p=85834"},"modified":"2019-11-05T15:22:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T20:22:53","slug":"sentencing-jargon-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sentencing.net\/sentencing\/sentencing-jargon-meaning","title":{"rendered":"Sentencing Meaning: What Does All The Jargon Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

One thing about any particular industry, field of study, business, or technology is that the area seems to have its own language. The computer world, for example, seems to have a completely foreign language involving RAM, gigabytes, memory sticks, and USB ports. And what about Twitter? Does anyone remember the times when we had a discussion without using the word \u201chashtag?\u201d #Isoundlikeanoldperson. The same is true of federal criminal sentencing and what what sentencing actually means.<\/p>\n

\"Sentencing

Sentencing Meaning<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyway, jargon is just a part of the business, whatever that business might be. It is a short-hand way to communicate for those “in the know.” And, in some cases, it is a way of communicating that helps people figure out who is in the know and who isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Of course, the law and the courtroom are no exceptions to the jargon culture. There are many, many terms<\/a> that get used frequently in a\u00a0courtroom that an average layperson would not understand. So, when it comes to sentencing meaning, let\u2019s take a moment to learn some jargon with regard to sentences given out in criminal court, state or federal, and let\u2019s begin with the word \u201csentence\u201d itself.<\/p>\n

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Sentencing Meaning:\u00a0 The Meaning of the Word \u201cSentence\u201d<\/h2>\n

Have you ever asked yourself why, in the criminal law, the punishment announced by the judge is called a \u201csentence?\u201d The origin of the word is actually from the Latin sentire<\/em> which means to \u201cfeel, or be of the opinion,\u201d and is related to the Latin sententia<\/em> which means \u201copinion.\u201d Accordingly, when a judge gives a \u201csentence,\u201d he or she is essentially giving an \u201copinion\u201d of how the case should be resolved.<\/p>\n

Different Kinds of Sentences<\/h2>\n

As we know from all of the procedural police television shows, the judge hands down a sentence after the jury renders its verdict. The sentence is usually for a term of years or could be life imprisonment. But, that does not quite get to how specific sentences can, and need, to be. There are actually many more details about the way in which sentences are imposed<\/a>. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the specific types of sentences a criminal court may impose:<\/p>\n