"Life typically means just that - it's not some shorthand for a term of imprisonment."

Can you show me an actual statistics on what percentage of "X faces life" in English texts relates to severe criminal charges, and what percentage means something "non-sensationalist"? Because as a non-native speaker, I've always seen it in the former context.

Where the heck would anyone find a corpus of text to study that phrase?

Oh, https://www.google.com/search?q=faces+life+after

(Incidentally, Google's de-duplication logic fails horribly on that query. 6 of the top 10 results are the same blogspam-copied story, and it's not even fresh news.)

eh? It's all about context, isn't it?

‘Life after x’ never refers to a life sentence—neither I nor anyone will have a statistical reference to back them up on this assertion—it's just not needed.

shrugs

- ed

well, i suppose 'faces life after quadruple homicide' would.

Haha, what do you mean 'no'? That I didn't think that?

sorry, i meant to 'reply' to VexXtreme - i figured you were simply being light hearted.

Not sure if sarcastic?