Whenever a criminal defendant faces sentencing on multiple counts, the defense lawyer should argue for concurrent, not consecutive, sentences.

Congratulations to Charles Jefferson, Jr., for his appellate victory against the prosecution’s assertion that Virginia law does not allow concurrent — rather than consecutive — mandatory minimum sentences for multiple counts of a first offense of producing child pornography. Jefferson v. Virginia, ___ Va. App. ___ (Oct. 16, 2012).

The crime for which Jefferson was convicted is reprehensible. His appellate victory was the right result.