Pennsylvania law requires courts to obtain reports on all outstanding criminal charges and the status of defendants, including current imprisonment, probation, or parole. It also specifies that the sentencing judge, unless unavailable, should impose sentences. Certain procedural rules have been suspended or amended over time.
Courts must order agencies to report on all criminal charges against a defendant and update on their status, including imprisonment, probation, or parole.
The judge who presided over the trial or accepted the plea generally imposes the sentence unless there are compelling reasons for someone else to do so.
Yes, certain rules, such as Rule of Criminal Procedure No. 1101(6), have suspended some procedures related to sentencing to align with post-trial rules.
Amendments include the addition of section 9738 in 1997 and various procedural updates, including the suspension of specific rules in 2000.