By: Derek Hawkins//July 11, 2018//
United States Supreme Court
Case Name: Chavez-Meza v. United States
Case No.: 17-5639
Focus: Sentencing Guidelines
This case concerns a criminal drug offender originally sentenced in accordance with the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Subsequently, the Sentencing Commission lowered the applicable Guidelines sentencing range; the offender asked for a sentence reduction in light of the lowered range; and the District Judge reduced his original sentence from 135 months’ imprisonment to 114 months’. The offender, believing he should have obtained a yet greater reduction, argues that the District Judge did not adequately explain why he imposed a sentence of 114 months rather than a lower sentence. The Court of Appeals held that the judge’s explanation was adequate. And we agree with the Court of Appeals.
Affirmed
Dissenting: KENNEDY, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which SOTOMAYOR and KAGAN, JJ., joined
Concurring: