Where an offender's involvement with a criminal element arose from their own drug use, that involvement does not excuse or mitigate the offending. Remorse is relevant as a mitigating factor only if indicative of rehabilitation and a willingness to leave criminal life behind, and where the sentencing judge finds the offender has not accepted responsibility, it is not an error to omit remorse from mitigating circumstances. Failure to disclose prior criminal history to expert witnesses undermines the validity of their opinions on rehabilitation prospects.
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