Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Help Us To Retroactively Revise the Unarmed Carjacking Statute

Gov. Snyder and the members of the legislature recongnized the need for sentencing reform thus they have created the CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY COMMISSION to ensure punishments match the severity of the crimes committed.

The punishment for an unarmed carjacking carries a punishment of up to life in prison plus consecutive sentencing for any other crime arising during the commission of the crime. This punishment is more severe than 2nd degree murder, manslaughter, criminal sexual contact 1st degree, and even an actual armed robbery. There is no rational basis for an unarmed carjacking to carry a lengthier prison sentence than any crime that involves one losing one's life, or for a crime in which one's mind, body, and soul are violated in the worst possible way imaginable. Also it defies logic that one convicted of an unarmed larceny offense faces a stiffer penalty than one convicted of an armed larceny offense.

Unarmed robbery carries a 15 year maximum sentence versus unarmed carjacking which carries a life sentence plus consecutive sentencing. Both of these crimes are unarmed larcenies however the difference in sentencing is like day and night.  For example, one person while unarmed takes a man's wallet from him containing $5000.00; this is commonly known as unarmed robbery.  Another man take's a man's vehicle from him worth $5000.00; this is commonly known as unarmed carjacking.  With all sentencing factors being equal, the unarmed rober would face a sentence of 5-20 years while the unarmed carjacker faces a sentence of 20-70 years.  This is simply unfair.

The punishment for the unarmed carjacking does not match the severity of the crime committed. Please contact Gov. Snyder at www.michigan.gov or at 517-373-3400 to ensure that the CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY COMMISSION reviews the punishment for the unarmed carjacking statute so that we can see a retroactive revision in the way we have sentenced unarmed carjackers.