The last quarter Fiscal Year 2014 sentencing statistics were released by the Sentencing Commission. There are lots of interesting information that the Commission has mined. One trend is that for all of Fiscal Year 2014, only 46.3% of sentences were imposed within the calculated guideline range and in the final quarter of FY2014 only 43.6% of sentences were within-guideline sentence. Thus, below guideline range sentences were more the norm than the exception. This might be largely explained by the 2 level reduction afforded to all drug defendants after March 2014 and before it found its way into the Guidelines Manual in November 2014. Nonetheless, this is the trajectory you want to see in federal sentencing practice.
For those of you who simply like raw data, you’ll be happy to know that the mean sentences for (1) child porn cases–135 months; (2) drug trafficking—68 months; (3) firearms—82 months; (4) fraud—26 months; (5) money laundering—30 months; (6) immigration—15 months; and (7) larceny—10 months.
Finally, the Commission will hold a public meeting to vote on publishing proposed guideline amendments on January 9 th and a presentation will also be given on economic crime. No doubt, there will be more to follow!