A
sentence is a decree of
punishment. In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a
judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of
imprisonment, a
fine and/or other
punishments against a
defendant convicted of a
crime. Those imprisoned for multiple crimes will serve a
consecutive sentence (in which the period of imprisonment equals the sum of all the sentences), a
concurrent sentence (in which the period of imprisonment equals the length of the longest sentence), or somewhere in between, sometimes subject to a cap. Additional sentences include:
Intermediate or those served on the weekend (usually Fri-Sun),
Determinate or a specific set amount of time (90 days) or
Indeterminate which are those that have a minimum and maximum time (90 to 120 days). If a sentence gets reduced to a less harsh punishment, then the sentence is said to have been "mitigated" or "commuted". Rarely (depending on circumstances)
murder charges are "mitigated" and reduced to
manslaughter charges. However, in certain legal systems, a defendant may be punished beyond the terms of the sentence, e.g.
social stigma, loss of governmental benefits, or, collectively, the
collateral consequences of criminal charges.