The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a 25-year prison sentence for a convicted sexual abuser who claimed the sentence was cruel and unusual.
The court on Friday vacated the 25-year sentence for Jordan Bruegger, of Hudson, S.D., who was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse in Sioux County, Iowa, for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2006 when he was 21.
The charge carries a 10-year sentence but it was enhanced because of a sexual misconduct conviction Bruegger had in Minnesota when he was 12 years old.
The Supreme Court questioned whether the action of a 12-year-old was enough to significantly enhance an adult sentence. It sent the case back to district court, directing the lower court to hold a hearing on Bruegger's challenge.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The court on Friday vacated the 25-year sentence for Jordan Bruegger, of Hudson, S.D., who was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse in Sioux County, Iowa, for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2006 when he was 21.
The charge carries a 10-year sentence but it was enhanced because of a sexual misconduct conviction Bruegger had in Minnesota when he was 12 years old.
The Supreme Court questioned whether the action of a 12-year-old was enough to significantly enhance an adult sentence. It sent the case back to district court, directing the lower court to hold a hearing on Bruegger's challenge.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
