Us Recommends 17 ½ Years In Prison For Guard

[News_Editor]

The US government is recommending a 17½-year prison term for an American security guard who admitted to trying to sell secret photos and other secret information to China’s Ministry of State Security after the guard lost $159,000 in the stock market. The Justice Department said Bryan Underwood took photographs of restricted areas at the new US consulate in Guangzhou and planned to use them to help China eavesdrop on US officials. Underwood drafted a letter expressing his desire to work for the China ministry, but was turned away when he attempted to deliver it.—AP

Source: Irrawaddy.org

[Potosi]

The US government recommends sentences? Aren't the courts supposed to be independent from government?

[Scott]

The court is independent and may chose to reject the recommendation.

[jamhar]

Willing to sell out his country,

because he made bad decisions in the stock market?

Put him in a hole and throw away the key.

just my 2 cents.

[F430murci]

The US government recommends sentences? Aren't the courts supposed to be independent from government?

Federal prosecutors can and do recommend sentences and so do defense attorneys. Judges are typically bound by very stringent sentencing guidelines which provides sentencing range and enhancing and mitigating factors. This may or may not be applicable to espionage type of offense following Patriot Act created during Bush administration. I don't know for sure and I do not practice criminal law though I used to review sentences in typical conviction cases 18 years ago when working at appellate and supreme court level.