Recently in Sentencing Category

Dudley Ramsay (right), a 25-year-old Brooklyn man was convicted by a New York City jury today for beating his five-month-old dachshund puppy 'Junior' to death.

According to charges and evidence presented by the Brooklyn District Attorney at trial before Judge Gary, the 260-pound Ramsay severely beat the puppy, later claiming that he was trying to discipline it.

Testimony at trial by an officer from the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforement agency testified that Ramsay told the officer, "I think I need help with anger management because I killed my first dog too."

How did Ramsay he beat the young puppy? According to evidence presented at trial, with repeated violence that included:

Bernard 'Bernie' Kerik, the disgraced former NYPD Police Commissioner convicted of eight felonies including lying to New York City and federal investigators about his association with a company and its figureheads who were being investigated for ties to organized crime, is going to jail.

On Thursday, February 18, 2010, Kerik faces between 27 and 33 months in federal prison, a sentencing guideline recommendation stemming from his Nov. 5, 2009 plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

Not surprisingly, there is a stark contrast between the government's sentencing memo which slams Kerik for believing that he was above the law, and the pre-sentencing memo submitted by Kerik's lawyers depicting his troubled early childhood with "his mother's prostitution and alcoholism," and his "enormous debt and mounting legal fees" that he has brought upon his current wife and the couple's two children.

Michael David Barrett, the accused stalker and criminal voyeur of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews will be arraigned in federal court on Monday, November 23, 2009.

The latest in a series of sordid charges against the 48-year-old Chicago-area Combined Insurance employee suggests that the nude videos Barrett secretly record of Andrews in hotel rooms where not simply a one-time occurrence,

Rather, it now appears that Barrett relentlessly stalked Andrews for more than a year.

Wanda Barzee, a co-defendant in the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case, pleaded guilty to several criminal charges in federal court today in exchange for a reduced prison sentence recommendation and her cooperation with prosecutors in the kidnapping, sexual assault, and violence case when Smart was 14-years-old.

Instead of life in prison, Barzee will receive a 15-year (180-month) federal prison sentence, and plead guilty to Utah state kidnapping charges.

Here is what Barzee admitted to in U.S. District Court:

According to Chris Brown's probation report (see below) revealed in court at his criminal sentencing yesterday, the R&B figure had a history of domestic violence incidents with his former girlfriend Rihanna, even before he pummeled and threatened to kill her while driving a rented Lamborghini in residential area of Los Angeles while on their way to the Grammy Awards in February this year.

Judge Patricia Schnegg sentenced Brown yesterday to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault in June, fewer felony charges than those that were originally filed against him by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, who presides over the Chris Brown assault-on-Rihanna case, postponed his sentencing today until August 27.

"The judge wants to know if Virginia has similar work programs like Caltrans where he will do community labor," according to Jane Robison, a press secretary in the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

Donald Etra, Rihanna's attorney, said that "the judge is awaiting confirmation from Virginia as to what Chris would be doing."

But why will Chris Brown serve his sentence in Virginia instead of California?

Michael Vick, the disgraced Atlanta Falcon's former starting quarterback, completed the terms of his federal sentence on dogfighting charges, appearing in federal court briefly with his attorney Lawrence Goodman to complete probation-related paperwork.

It remains unclear whther Vick will actually return to the N.F.L., however.

It's a beautiful day in convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff's new neighborhood.  The disgraced former investment manager is serving his 150-year prison sentence at the Butner Federal Correction Complex in Butner, North Carolina.

Here is a sampling of Bernie's new neighbors, and the answers to frequently asked questions about conjugal visits, gifts, and more.