# Judge/juries sentencing question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-juries-sentencing-question/707578>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 18, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-juries-sentencing-question/707578 "2014-12-18T16:26:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-juries-sentencing-question/707578/1 "2014-12-18T16:26:01Z")

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Anyone know of any studies done that show that in cases where the defendant is found guilty in cases where the evidence is not a slam dunk…they receive lighter sentences?

Or at least in murder cases are more likely not to receive a death sentence?

Just anecdotally, in watching real-life crime shows, it seems in cases where I didn’t think ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ had been achieved , rarely is a sentence of death given.