Case Processing and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (From U.S. Sentencing Guidelines: Implications for Criminal Justice, P 111-135, 1989, Dean J. Champion, ed. -- See NCJ-121135)

• NCJ Number: 121141
• Author(s): L Goodstein; J H Kramer
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter examines the Federal sentencing guidelines' impact on the following elements of case processing: charging decision, decision on charge level and charge "adjustments," setting of bail and pretrial detention, trial decisions, guilty pleas, dispositional findings, sentencing decisions, and appellate review.

Abstract

To obtain some preliminary observations from persons involved in the guidelines implementation, this study interviewed a commissioner of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, several commission staff members, several U.S. attorneys, and several Federal probation officers. The study hypothesizes that the guidelines will have major implications for Federal case processing. The roles of the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the judge, and the probation officer will change in various ways. The information required at sentencing will be more uniform both in terms of what information is available and how it is weighed. In addition, the surveillance of the courts by courts of appeal as well as by the media will be enhanced because of the structure and specificity of the guidelines. Although this study does not project that all disparities will disappear due to the guidelines, neither does it predict the disasters of many critics of the guidelines. 5 notes.