Tag Archives: Federal Sentencing Guidelines

How to Better Understand the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Posted on December 6, 2011 by pandwbarrett

Frequently, when dealing with defendants in federal criminal cases, the subject of federal prison and the Federal Bureau of Prisons arises.  Defendant’s have many concerns about entering the prison system. Questions like “can I be designated to a prison near my …

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President Obama Issues His First Commutation of a Sentence

Posted on November 22, 2011 by pandwbarrett

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?

Posted on November 16, 2011 by pandwbarrett

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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