A defendant's sentence will be decided in Pennsylvania by multiple factors. One would be whether the person was found guilty before a judge or jury. If the person was found guilty by a judge versus a jury would also have an impact, or whether the person resolved their case through a non-trial disposition, such as a negotiated or an open guilty plea. The seriousness of the offense would be a major factor. The person's prior criminal history would also be a major factor.
Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines would be a factor where the offense gravity score and the person's prior record score, going back to, again, the offense, and the person's particular circumstances would all be a factor in the person's sentence. In terms of what information and documentation is presented to the court, either by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the prosecution that is, or the defense to either say get an aggravated or mitigated sentence, of course, the defense would be seeking a mitigated sentence and the prosecution could be seeking an aggravated sentence.
The court can order a pre-sentence investigation or a mental health evaluation to get more information about the defendant prior to sentencing, so there's multiple factors that would be involved in determining a person's sentence.
An experienced Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney will help you best understand how to address the sentencing and will help you best protect your rights and interest.
