Does the jury hand down the sentence? That is news to me.
No, in TN it is done by statute. Judge has to select the appropriate sentence according to the guidelines. but he gets leeway in deciding how to rate the aggravating/mitigating factors. As a first timer, she is presumed to get the minimum sentence for the range.
They handed down a conviction on voluntary manslaughter, not murder.
No, but the jury filled with Oprah watchers failed to convict a murderer on the first degree charges that she deserved. Not a single allegation of abuse was corroborated and I'm still wondering what he was doing while sleeping to make her want to shoot him in the back.
This stupid, evil, selfish woman should be spending the rest of her life in a cell with some Big Bertha to show her what abuse REALLY is.