NACDL President Cynthia Orr Said Sentencing Laws Should Change to Adapt to Circumstances

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Cynthia Orr said sentencing should be aimed at achieving success and addressing crime, rather than a general sentence to serve as a punishment. In the President Column in The Champion, Orr tells the story of a San Antonio man who was convicted of armed robbery and received a sentence shorter than what the Texas law calls.

Marcel Johnson, who now works for the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, was convicted and sentenced for 30 years. However, two weeks later the inmate was back in court and his sentence was changed to five years.

Attorney Cynthia Orr discusses the matter further in an April 2010 Champion article.