NCJ Number
214514
Date Published
2005
Length
466 pages
Annotation
The data presented pertain to sentencing in Federal cases both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Blakely v. Washington (June 24, 2004), which is a landmark case that invalidated a sentence imposed under Washington State's sentencing guidelines statute, but with implications for Federal sentencing guidelines as well.
Abstract
The U.S. Sentencing Commission received documentation on 70,068 cases sentenced in fiscal year 2004. Of these cases, 51,865 were sentenced prior to the "Blakely" decision. The Commission also coded and assimilated information on 18,203 sentences imposed after "Blakely." The Commission created two datasets for the analysis of Federal sentences imposed in fiscal year 2004 because the mandatory nature of the guidelines was uncertain during the post-Blakely portion of fiscal year 2004. For each case in its Offender Dataset, the report contains case identifiers, sentencing data, demographic variables, statutory information, the complete range of court guideline decisions, and information on departures from the guidelines. The Organizational Dataset contains information on organizations sentenced under Chapter 8 of the guidelines. Data address organizational structure, size, and economic viability; offense of conviction; mode of adjudication; sanctions imposed; and application of the sentencing guidelines. The Appeals Dataset tracks appellate review of sentencing decisions. Information includes the district, circuit, date of opinion, sentencing issues, and the appellate court's disposition. Extensive tables and figures