Orlando criminal defense lawyer and television legal analyst Jose Rivas spoke with Telemundo News about the sentence Stephen Stearns received for the killing of 13-year-old Madeline Soto.
With the stage all set for a lengthy, sensational trial, Stephan Sterns accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty in the Madeline Soto murder case. Sterns pleaded guilty to the murder charges and no contest to the sexual abuse charges. He was sentenced to 21 consecutive life sentences.
Rivas discussed how the Sterns plea deal came about.
21 Consecutive Life Sentences for Stephan Sterns
“What happened is that he accepted responsibility, pleaded guilty to some charges, and on others, he pleaded no contest,” Rivas told Telemundo. “It means that in the eyes of both the prosecution and the defense, it was in everyone’s best interest that Stephan Sterns was sentenced to life in prison. It avoids a lengthy, expensive trial for the state, gives closure to the family so they don’t have to go through those experiences again, and it avoids the death penalty for Sterns.”
Rivas noted that the 21 life sentences are to be served consecutively.
“The judge sentenced him to life imprisonment for every charge,” Rivas said. “Let’s remember that he faced 60 sexual abuse charges and everything found on his phone. He also faced at least one charge for attempted murder and for first-degree murder. These life sentences are consecutive, which means he will never get out of prison.
Stearns Plea Deal Leaves Little Room for Appeal
Rivas noted that many judges hand out concurrent sentences, meaning that all the sentences are served at the same time. Ordering that these 21 life sentences for Stephan Sterns be served one after another shows how serious these crimes are. “So, it won’t just be one life sentence; the sentences will be consecutive for all of them,” Rivas said. “And the most important thing is that by entering this plea, accepting responsibility, and pleading guilty voluntarily and knowingly, there are very few options for him to appeal this decision.”
The Orlando criminal defense lawyer also highlighted other conditions that will effectively prevent Stephan Sterns from appealing the 21 consecutive life sentences. “First off, there is no type of appeal because he entered the plea voluntarily. They had him make clear that drugs or alcohol did not influence his decision to accept a plea deal and that he had enough time to speak with his lawyer,” Rivas said. “All those questions and all the constitutional rights he is waiving. Remember, we all have the right to a trial, and Stephan Sterns waived that right. The judge asked, knowing all of these things, does he want to enter this plea today? He said yes.”
He voluntarily and knowingly accepted this agreement, which is a contract.
Stephan Sterns Statements in Court After Plea Deal
The comments Stephan Sterns made after being sentenced to 21 consecutive life sentences seemed unusual to some court observers. “I will miss her,” he said, referring to Madeleine Soto. “I will never not honor her memory.” And he apologized for all the pain.
Rivas said he thought the comments were out of place.
“Typically, when I have a client who is going to speak in court, I review what they are going to say, and I think either it wasn’t reviewed or he read it without knowing how a third person would accept or interpret those words,” he said. “If this had been read, for example, in a trial with a jury, it would have been damaging for him. Of course, as defense lawyers, we never want our clients to testify. We never know what they will say or how their words will be interpreted. So, it’s a risk when a defendant chooses to testify.”
Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney Jose Rivas is a veteran bilingual TV Legal Analyst who has appeared on Univision, Fox News, Telemundo, and many other news outlets.