A judge can impose a sentence that is longer than the base sentence established by the legislature:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Apprendi v. New Jersey (2000), any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, a judge can only impose a sentence longer than the base sentence established by the legislature if the jury found the facts used to determine the longer sentence were true.

A Judge Can Impose a Sentence That Is Longer Than