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April 7, 2025

US Sentencing Commission has (possible) vote scheduled on (big?) proposed guideline amendments

As detailed on this webpage, federal sentencing fans need to mark their calendars for the afternoon of April 11, 2025.  In addition to watching The Masters, I now expect to be multitasking because the US Sentencing Commission has noticed its next public meeting for Friday, April 11, 2025 at 1:30 pm.  This public meeting could be a big moment in the 2024-2025 guidelines amendment cycle for the Commission: on the meeting agenda is "Possible Vote to Promulgate Proposed Amendments."

Interestingly, last year's April public meeting notice, as seen here, listed "Vote to Promulgate Proposed Amendments" an as agenda item.  Though I might be reading too much into an extra word, that this year's meeting agenda states "Possible Vote" has me wondering if there is a real possibility that the Commission will not advance any proposed guideline amendments later this week. 

The Commission has had an extremely ambitious amendment cycle, with two sets of major guideline amendment proposals (basics here and here) and two extensive hearings on these guideline amendment proposals (basics here and here).  Though some of this cycle's guideline amendment proposals focus on small issues, other proposals under consideration could impact nearly every sentencing or huge portions of the federal caseload (eg, drug cases).  Any big amendments from the USSC this cycle could be a very big deal.

Or not, if no amendments are voted forward.  I have been wondering whether any clear "amendment consensus" had emerged from the submitted comments and public hearing discussions on all the proposed amendments.  Moreover, as noted here a few months ago, the Commission is down to only five voting members and so there now needs to be near unanimity on proposed amendments for them to advance.

I will certainly be tuning in, but I really do not have any firm predictions about just what to expect (either for the USSC's work or The Masters).

April 7, 2025 at 05:35 PM | Permalink

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