Editing Sentencing

18 U.S. Code § 3553<ref>https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3553</ref> provides factors that federal judges must consider when imposing a sentence on a convicted defendant.




==Federal Sentencing Guidelines==
The Federal Sentencing Guidelines were created by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984; these Guidelines took effect in 1987.

Moreover, the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 created the United States Sentencing Commission. This commission is made up of a team of 7 lawyers who devise and maintain the Guidelines.<ref>https://www.ussc.gov/about/who-we-are/organization</ref> The lawyers are appointed by the U.S. President.

The Federal Sentencing Guidelines are amended annually in light of new information and developments.

In ''United States v. Booker'' (2005), the Supreme Court declared that the mandatory sentencing guidelines were unconstitutional. Consequently, the Sentencing Guidelines have been transformed from being ''mandatory'' to ''advisory''.

== Cases ==
*''[[Mistretta v. United States]]''
*''[[Pulsifer v. United States]]'', 2023

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines/2021-guidelines-manual-annotated