Virginia Beach rapist given two life sentences as a youth

Do the sins of your youth follow you into your old age? Most people would say "no" or at least hope that they do not. However, for Dennis Robert LeBlanc his sins as a minor may follow him to his death bed. As a sixteen-year-old in 1999, he was given two life sentences for attacking an elderly women and raping her in the woods. The judge gave him that sentencing because he was stated as an extreme danger to society. While that situation is horrorific and deserves punishment, does that mean he should be given no chance for redemption? Many would agree that things they do in their youth they would not do in their adult years.

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that a life sentence without parole for minors is cruel and unusual punishment. Due to this recent switch in views, LeBlanc challenged his sentencing, the third person from Virginia to do so, and asked for parole consideration. He did not fair well however; the Virginia Beach judge decided that he can only petition for parole for geriatric release. Prisoners are eligible for geriatric release when they are sixty, which means that LeBlanc will have to wait until 2042. According to LeBlanc's lawyer, Marc Shapiro, no more than fifteen prisoners have been granted geriatric in the past sixteen years. According to prosecution LeBlanc got what he deserved and has not made any improvement while in prison. Since being in prison LeBlanc has not been given any type of review to see if he is still a threat to society, which makes the prosecution's statement very ill-informed. Despite his lawyer's attempts, LeBlanc will have to wait another thirty years before he can possibly be released from prison.

If you or someone you know has been involved in criminal activity and needs help in their case, please contact Hampton Roads criminal Attorney Michael S. Weisberg for a free consultation.