Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), a defendant convicted of a felony may not be sentenced before a written presentence report is prepared by a probation officer and considered by the sentencing court. Delay of sentence until a presentence report is prepared does not constitute an indefinite postponement or suspension of sentence.

Attorney's Note

Under the Indiana Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Level 6 felonybetween 6 mos. and 2 1/2 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see Ind. Code § 35-50-2-7
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Terms Used In Indiana Code 35-38-1-8

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • victim: has the meaning set forth in Indiana Code 35-38-1-9
     (b) A victim present at sentencing in a felony or misdemeanor case shall be advised by the court of a victim’s right to make a statement concerning the crime and the sentence.

     (c) A court may sentence a person convicted of a Level 6 felony without considering a written presentence report prepared by a probation officer. However, if a defendant is committed to the department of correction or a community corrections program under IC 35-38-2.6, the probation officer shall prepare a report that meets the requirements of section 9 of this chapter to be sent with the offender to the department in lieu of the presentence investigation report required by section 14 of this chapter.

As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.131-1985, SEC.16; P.L.240-1991(ss2), SEC.90; P.L.104-1997, SEC.6; P.L.158-2013, SEC.395.

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