Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 22 - CORRECTIONS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Part IX - Sentencing Commission
Subpart 1 - Felony Sentencing Guidelines
Chapter 1 - Purpose and Principles
Section IX-101 - Purpose

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code IX-101

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. The purpose of the Louisiana Sentencing Guidelines, hereinafter referred to as guidelines, is to recommend a uniform sanctioning policy which is consistent, proportional, and fair for use by the Louisiana judiciary in felony cases in which the sentencing court must determine the sentence to be imposed.

B. The guidelines do not apply to capital cases, cases punishable by a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, or misdemeanor cases.

C. The guidelines do not apply to convictions for felony offenses for which no crime seriousness level has been determined. In such cases, the court may be guided by the guideline range for a ranked offense which the court determines to be analogous to the offense of conviction.

D. The guidelines are intended to ensure certainty, uniformity, consistency and proportionality of punishment, fairness to victims, and the protection of society.

E. The guidelines are intended to provide rational and consistent criteria for imposing criminal sanctions in a uniform and proportionate manner.

1. Uniformity in sentencing requires that offenders who are similar with respect to relevant sentencing criteria should receive similar sanctions, and that offenders who are substantially different with respect to relevant sentencing criteria should receive different sanctions.

2. Proportionality in sentencing requires that the severity of the punishment be proportional to the seriousness of the offense of conviction and the severity of the offender's prior criminal history.

F. The guidelines are intended to assist the court in stating for the record the considerations taken into account and the factual basis for imposing sentence.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 15:321-329.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.