Monthly Archives: November 2011

President Obama Issues His First Commutation of a Sentence

With 1 year left on in his first term as president, President Obama issued his first commutation to a federal prisoner. Commutation of a sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a …

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Federal Sentencing: Does Your Case Warrant a Variance?

After the Supreme Court’s decision  in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), judges should now engage in a three-step approach to federal sentencing: 1) the court should apply the sentencing guidelines to establish the sentencing guideline range; 2) the …

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