A suspended sentence is a legal construct. Unless a minimum punishment is prescribed by law, the court has the power to suspend the passing of sentence (generally for a period of three years) and place the offender on probation. It is the passing of the sentence, not the sentence itself that is being suspended. This means that if the person is convicted of another offense during the period when the passing of sentence had been suspended, then the person may be sentenced for the original offense.

Suspended sentence is necessary for probation, but in cases where the penalty is recorded as suspended sentence it is often given to mitigate the effect of the penalty. Suspended sentence is often given to individuals of some celebrity and many consider it a slap on the wrist .

Suspended sentences given to can often enrage the families of vicitms of crimes. These families may then, in turn seek alternative forms of justice.(See the case of Don Vito Corleone and the Mortician)

See also:

• Edward Kennedy
• Stephen King
• Johnny Cash