Legal Definitions - cumulative sentences

Definition: Cumulative sentences are two or more sentences of jail time to be served in sequence. For example, if a defendant receives consecutive sentences of 20 years and 5 years, the total amount of jail time is 25 years.

Example: John was found guilty of two crimes and was sentenced to 10 years for the first crime and 15 years for the second crime. Since the sentences are cumulative, John will serve a total of 25 years in jail.

This example illustrates how cumulative sentences work. When a defendant is found guilty of multiple crimes, the judge can impose consecutive sentences, which means the defendant will serve one sentence after the other. This can result in a longer jail time for the defendant.