Jackson v. State

CATHELL, Judge.

This case calls into question the appropriateness of comments made by a trial judge during the sentencing phase of a criminal proceeding. On May 5, 1999, following a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Howard County, Valentino Maurice Jackson, petitioner, was convicted of first degree assault, second degree assault, reckless endangerment, and unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun. On August 16, 1999, the trial judge imposed a total sentence of eighteen years in the Division of Corrections. In an unreported opinion, the Court of Special Appeals affirmed the judgment. 1…