A person can receive a life sentence for a variety of different crimes. The obvious crimes that carry a life sentence is murder, criminal sexual conduct, Assault and battery with intent to kill, Kidnapping, Arson, Burglary, and Armed Robbery. These are not the only crime that carries a life sentence. But the term life sentence is often confusing and should not be limited to only certain crimes. It is possible for a person to receive the equivalent of a life sentence by committing several different crimes or even committing multiple offense of a lesser crime. Say for instance, a person in there twenties committed 30 counts of a crime, and each count carries a sentence maximum of three years, then that person could be sentenced to 90 years. Since they are already in their twenties, this means that person would have to “max out”, that is serving 85% of their sentence, before being released. This would mean that a person in their twenties would effectively be given a life sentence, even for a multitude of small or petty crimes. In addition, many states have what is commonly known as the three strikes law, that means that a person is automatically given a life sentence upon commission and conviction of their third felony.