Legal Definitions - defendant score

Definition: A defendant score is a number that is determined by an established scale, which indicates the seriousness of a defendant's criminal history. This score is used to help determine the appropriate punishment for the defendant.

Example: If a person has a history of multiple convictions for theft, their defendant score will be higher than someone who has never been convicted of a crime before. This higher score may result in a longer prison sentence or more severe punishment.

Explanation: The defendant score is used to help judges and lawyers determine the appropriate punishment for a defendant based on their criminal history. The higher the score, the more serious the defendant's criminal history is considered to be, and the more severe the punishment may be. This helps ensure that punishments are fair and appropriate for each individual case.