Proposed Amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines

The United States Sentencing Commission has proposed several amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines.

Because the Guidelines’ worth stems from their basis in the Commission’s expertise, the reasoning for any changes proposed by the Commission can be useful in persuading a sentencing court to either follow the proposed amendment or decline to follow the current guideline.

Some of the highlights in the proposed amendments touch on the appropriateness of alternatives to incarceration; rejecting the use of revocations, juvenile convictions and adult convictions committed before age 18 to increase criminal history; not denying acceptance of responsibility when a defendant challenges relevant conduct; and the possibility of a departure/variance when the actual time served on a case is lower than the sentence imposed.

Here is the link to the proposed amendments.