Another sentencing summer to remember

Labor Day weekend marks the symbolic end of summer, and thus serves as a good excuse for reviewing the biggest sentencing stories of the summer.  Looking back over my periodic "review posts" since Memorial Day (which can be found, from earliest to latest, here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here), I have a hard time picking the biggest summer sentencing story. 

Obviously, Justice O'Connor's retirement, Judge Roberts' nomination(s), and Chief Justice Rehnquist's passing are the biggest legal stories of the summer.  And, as discussed here and here and elsewhwere, the potential impact of these Supreme Court transitions on sentencing jurisprudence could be profound.  But, there were so many other big developments this summer as well, ranging from many major states Blakely rulings (some highlights here and here) to sex offender panics producing significant legislative proposals (some highlights here and here) to the brouhaha over Rep. Sensenbrenner's letter to the Seventh Circuit (highlights here) to the on-going federal struggles with Booker and the call for a Booker fix coming from AG Alberto Gonzales (highlights here).

Of course, this summer has actually been calmer than last year, which was the summer of Blakely.  Nevertheless, anyone who took the summer off missed a lot of notable sentencing law and policy action.