Concurrent and consecutive sentencing

What are the rules/guidelines concerning consecutive and concurrent sentencing?

I'm curious because a case was reported recently where somebody was convicted on eight charges and the judge sentenced him to 3 years on each charge, to run concurrently.

But then the judge backdated the start of the sentences to when the convictee started a four year sentence for a different crime.

So essentially it seems that the criminal was convicted of crimes which, if taken individually, would have merited 24 years but because of the decision to make them concurrent he got off scot free.

The case is just for illustration.

Does having a large number of concurrent years affect the actual sentence served in any way?

johnnyskeleton

Essentially there is a concept called the totality principle. A judge may decide that while each offence justifies 3 years, 24 years would be excessive

Can we look at it another way?

If I'm in prison serving a single three year sentence and my cell mate is serving eight concurrent three year sentences, do we both get released on the same day?

Secondly, in the OP example, what would have happpened if the case was brought after the criminal had served his current four year sentence? Would the judge have applied the probation act (I dont think it applies for serious crime) or given him a zero year sentence?