Press Release

For release: Immediate

For more information contact: James Reams: 642-4249 September 6, 2006

State’s Right to Sentence Review

Brentwood - County Attorney Jim Reams announced today that the NH Supreme Court has again upheld the constitutionality of the State’s right to Sentence Review under the amended statute. The Supreme Court held in the Petition of Chad Evans that the statute did not violate ex post facto, due process and double jeopardy claims. Jim Reams said “When I drafted the amendment to give the State the right to utilize the Sentence Review Board, I argued in the legislature that it was Constitutional. The Supreme Court has again rejected the arguments that it is un-Constitutional.” “While the State utilizes the Sentence Review Board in an average of 9% of the cases that are reviewed, it is an important protection to promote uniformity in sentencing”, Reams continued.