Jessica’s Law Applied Following Conviction in Maine

In the first application of  Maine’s Jessica’s Law after a trial, a man convicted of sexually-assaulting a 4-year-old girl was sentenced to 22 years in prison.  An article detailing the case notes that:

Assistant District Attorney Eric Walker said the sentencing was the first time Jessica’s Law was used in Maine after a trial. Like the federal version of Jessica’s Law, the state sentencing guidelines apply to instances of sexual assault of a person under 12.

There have been other sentences given in Maine under the law, but those were the results of plea agreements, Walker said. The law instructs judges to begin their deliberations with no less than a 20-year sentence, although they have the option of raising or lowering the sentence depending on the defendant’s background and other factors.

The government had recommended a 25-year sentence, with the defense asking for six years.

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