Legal Definitions - definitive sentence

A definitive sentence is a judgment that a court formally pronounces after finding a criminal defendant guilty. It is the punishment imposed on a criminal wrongdoer. For example, a sentence of 20 years in prison is a definitive sentence.

Other types of sentences include:

• Concurrent sentences: Two or more sentences of jail time to be served simultaneously.
• Consecutive sentences: Two or more sentences of jail time to be served in sequence.
• Indeterminate sentence: A sentence of an unspecified duration, such as one for a term of 10 to 20 years.
• Mandatory sentence: A sentence set by law with no discretion for the judge to individualize punishment.
• Suspended sentence: A sentence postponed so that the defendant is not required to serve time unless he or she commits another crime or violates some other court-imposed condition.

For example, if a defendant receives concurrent sentences of 5 years and 15 years, the total amount of jail time is 15 years. This illustrates a concurrent sentence. Similarly, if a defendant receives consecutive sentences of 20 years and 5 years, the total amount of jail time is 25 years. This illustrates a consecutive sentence.