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The Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling last month ordering the state to do away with some of its mandatory minimum sentences could bolster a bill awaiting a vote in the Michigan House.
The measure, sponsored by State Representative Kurt Heise, would eliminate the two year mandatory minimum sentence for people who had a gun on them while committing a felony.
Heise says sometimes that punishment doesn’t fit the crime and when that’s the case judges should have the flexibility to hand down a lighter sentence.
His bill would also allow a judge to make the sentence consecutive or concurrent.
Right now the only option is consecutive.
If the judge chooses consecutive then the prison time would be in addition to whatever a person is serving for the primary offense.
Concurrent would mean the sentences would be served at the same time.
Mandatory minimum sentences spell out the least amount of time someone call spend in prison for committing a certain crime.
Lawmakers in the House return to Lansing later this month.
