This study, based on examination of 313 fraud cases, proposes to: (1) identify the determinants of judges' sentencing; (2) contribute to the development of a methodology for the study of sentencing by showing how to conceptualize abstract research questions; and (3) identify the scope of an individual judge's discretion. Data analysis revealed several interesting points: (1) There is considerable discrepancy in sentencing among individual judges; and (2) The most important factor determining sentencing is the quantity of prosecution that prosecutors demand. Tables, endnotes, references