New York Sentencing Law on Repeat Felons Is Ruled Unconstitutional.

A key provision of a New York State law under which repeat offenders can be sentenced more harshly is unconstitutional because the longer prison terms are based on findings by judges, not juries, a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday. Although the ruling did not directly strike down the provision, it indicated that the state law was flawed. Some prosecutors said new legislation could be required to preserve the politically popular principle that repeat offenders should be subject to longer sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]