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SENTENCING

If you have entered a plea of guilty for a criminal offence, or have been found guilty by the court, the next step in the process is sentencing. On the date of sentencing, the Judge or Magistrate will make a decision on the type and severity of the penalty they will impose on you based the nature of the offence, your prior criminal record and all your personal circumstances.

Criminal sentences vary wildly in nature and severity. Possible sentences can include good behaviour bonds, home detention, the payment of compensation, fines, community service orders, probation orders, suspended sentences, and of course, imprisonment terms. At GMH Legal, we do not consider any of these sentences to be ‘givens’ for any particular offence. We believe that much rests on the quality of legal advice and representation secured by the defendant.

If you have not yet retained an expert criminal lawyer, you can rest assured that at GMH Legal we have a strong track record of securing our clients the most favourable sentences possible in their given circumstances. As well as knowing the demeanour and habits of the various Judges and Magistrates in the NSW court system, we give our clients tailored legal advice on all the undertakings they can assume on themselves prior to sentencing which can assist in reducing the severity of their sentences. We have the knowledge and connections that will ensure you make a good impression when you appear in court for sentencing.

For driving and traffic offences, we can refer you to a specialist counsellor in anger management, or a driving school which offers targeted rehabilitation classes for people with a checkered driving history. Participation in such programs will show the Judge or Magistrate that you are committed to taking your social obligations on the road seriously and are making genuine attempts to ensure your driving behaviour will not cause injury to others.

For matters involving drug and alcohol offences, we can provide you with a targeted referral to a specialist drug or alcohol counsellor. This will almost inevitably result in you receiving a more sympathetic sentence, as the court is required to take into account all commitments you have undertaken to rehabilitate yourself before they impose a sentence on you.

In addition, we will assess the applicability of all the mitigating circumstances which could potentially reduce the severity of any sentence imposed on you, such as financial hardship, gambling problems, drug and alcohol issues, and the non-characteristic effect that any mental health problems, such as depression, may have had on your conduct. We have the knowledge and connections necessary to retain the services of experts, in the field of psychology and other medical fields, whose psychological and medical reports will assist you in secure the most lenient sentence possible in your given circumstances.

If your matter has been set down for sentencing, you should contact us as soon as possible.

Our criminal lawyers will meticulously prepare and cogently present submissions to the Judge or Magistrate sentencing your matter in a way that ensures that you obtain the most lenient sentence possible in the circumstances.