Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Appeals lawyers spar over whether trial court abused discretion in Jordan sentencing
Summary
At oral argument, the public defender urged the appellate panel to remand for alternative sentencing or probation, saying the trial court over-relied on the defendant’s criminal history; the state urged affirmation, citing the seriousness of offenses and repeated alternative-sentence grants.
Margaret Bailey Turner, an attorney with the Appellate Division of the Public Defender’s Office, told the appellate panel the only issue before the court was “whether the trial court abused its discretion” by ordering that defendant Christopher (Mister) Jordan serve his full sentence in confinement after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a Dyer County incident in Dec. 2022.
Turner said Jordan agreed in his plea to an effective 10-year sentence — eight years on one count and two years on the other — but argued the trial court erred by over-relying on his criminal history and failing to place sufficient findings on the record to allow meaningful appellate review. “We ask that this court find that the trial court abused its discretion, and remand for proper sentencing, or order that Mister Jordan serve the rest of his sentence either on probation or in community corrections,” Turner said.
Katie Neff, arguing on behalf of the state, urged the panel to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
