Sentence Reduced For Michigan Man Who Molested Child
GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ/AP) - It's a bit of a break for a west Michigan man convicted of molesting his daughter's 11-year-old friend.
Mark Carfine's sentence for sexually assaulting a child has been reduced by 15 to 35 years because of a state Supreme Court decision.
As a result of the high court's ruling in an unrelated case, Mark Carfine's first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction from last year was set aside, and he pleaded guilty to second-degree sex assault.
In a deal with the Kent County prosecutor's office, a Circuit Court judge revised Carfine's sentence from 25 to 50 years in prison to a 10- to 15-year term.
The Grand Rapids Press reports Friday the decision to revisit Carfine's conviction stemmed from a Supreme Court decision that found some statements made by law enforcement officials during suspect interrogations can be seen as prejudicial when presented to a jury.
Musser was convicted of touching the young girl in a sexual manner when she was at his Gaines Township home, near Grand Rapids, in 2009.
In previous court filings, Carfine said he was not well represented by his attorney and that he regretted taking the stand in his own defense. He argued that statements made by Prosecutor Helen Brinkman tainted the jury, but that argument was rejected by the judge.
Carfine was moved back from the Kent County Jail to a Saginaw prison earlier this week.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
