A sentencing judge's finding of absence of remorse is properly used as a factor bearing on prospects of rehabilitation and the need for community protection, and does not constitute treating absence of remorse as a circumstance of aggravation merely because the finding was made to the criminal standard. The distinction between planned and spontaneous killings in sentencing is not a bright line and must be assessed in the context of all circumstances, including whether the offender was armed, the duration and nature of the violence, and the availability of non-violent alternatives.
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