10/12/2026
👇 these 2 just got a downward dispositional departure in a difficult case. What’s that mean in plain English?
🧐 Minnesota uses sentencing guidelines to advise judges on how much prison time to sentence in a felony, or how much prison time to hang over their head on probation.
More serious felonies are called “presumptive commits” meaning a judge is to presume to send the defendant to prison, NOT jail.
Jail is 365 days or less. Prison is 365 days or more.
The guidelines in this case presume prison for around 90-108 months. The prosecutor asked for 108 months.
To convince a judge NOT to give the presumptive sentence, we had to make a “substantial and compelling” showing that our client deserved a departure. The prosecutor made a passionate argument, as did the family for the other side.
This was a crime that the client admitted to police. So the entire issue was how do we deliver the best arguments we can so the judge can see our client as a human and not just the crime.
Enter Lily & Marie. They dug deep. Rounding up years of records. Asking for, receiving and incorporating detailed support letters. Telling our client’s story: his adversity, where he fell short, what he did to address his conduct, what he still works on to improve. Writing a dynamite sentencing motion. And then Marie made her own impassioned argument, using her own voice in her own special way.
It’s a sad case. There’s hurt all around. But the Judge granted our motion. The client still got a consequence: a year in jail plus 10 years of probation. And there’s been collateral damage. But at least he’s not going to prison for 90-108 months (that’s 9 years).
This one was a close call. Lily and Marie answered the 🔔
We’re grateful that the Judge kept an open mind. And we’re grateful for the opportunity to help others and to see them for not only the bad, but the good.
