PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — A judge says she will announce Oscar Pistorius’ sentence for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on July 6.
Prosecutors have called for a 15-year jail sentence for Pistorius, the minimum sentence for murder in South Africa. However, a judge can reduce that in some circumstances.
Pistorius’ defense lawyer has argued there are “compelling” circumstances in Pistorius’ case and has asked Judge Thokozile Masipa for leniency. Pistorius’ defense wants him to be spared a jail sentence and be allowed to do community work with children.
Judge Masipa adjourned the case on Wednesday after three days of testimony and arguments in Pistorius’ sentencing hearing.
Pistorius is currently under house arrest after serving one year in jail for an initial manslaughter conviction in Steenkamp’s shooting death. That manslaughter conviction was changed by an appeals court to a more serious murder conviction.
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