Hardship to an offender's intellectually disabled dependent family member can constitute exceptional circumstances warranting amelioration of sentence, but the sentencing judge must make an explicit finding on the issue. Mercy is not an independent ground of appeal distinct from exceptional hardship — failure to extend mercy in circumstances falling short of exceptional hardship does not constitute sentencing error. Where a sentencing judge fails to determine the central issue on the plea, the sentencing discretion is vitiated.
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