Amy Locane’s initial three year sentence was controversial, not least with the family of Helene Seeman, who lost a beloved daughter, wife, and mother. Prior to Locane’s return to prison in 2020, Seeman’s relatives testified to convince the court that she deserved to face further jail time as a fitting punishment for a driver whose negligence took a woman’s life. Locane herself, however, is adamant that her return to prison for a second time is unjust. Her legal team filed an appeal on her behalf that argued her resentencing violated the double jeopardy constitutional clause that prevents people from being tried twice for the same crime.
According to court documents from 2022, Lacone appealed to have her sentence of eight years reduced. Her team again focused on her status as a mother, arguing that it was within the interests of her children, who were still minors, that she be released earlier than her sentence stipulates. However, her appeal was rejected by U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp, who ruled that such sentences as Lacone’s are subject to correction, and that no constitutional rights had been violated by her resentencing.
