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My question. Does a judge ever change his/her mind about what the sentence will be based on the pleas from the attorneys & convicted or the victims and their families?
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Yes, the statements can affect the sentencing.
My cousin is a judge in TX and sits a lot of sentencing trials. Usually she goes into a sentencing with a strong idea of what she's going to rule, but often what she has in mind is a range of sentence times/options. She can be influenced to give a longer or shorter sentence based on the comments she hears.
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