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Effective commentary on DOJ's new charging and sentencing policy

By Douglas A. Berman

Now available free on-line is this effective commentary by Alan Vinegrad in the New York Law Journal from last week headlined "Justice Department's New Charging, Plea Bargaining and Sentencing Policy."  Here is how the piece begins: On May 19, 2010, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced the Justice Department's new policy on charging, plea bargaining and sentencing. "New" is a bit of an overstatement, as Mr. Holder's memo notes that its purpose is to "reaffirm the guidance" provided by the principles of federal prosecution that were first memorialized 30 years ago.  That said, the new policy does reflect a number of subtle, and substantive, changes in text and tone from the policies of Mr. Holder's recent predecessors.  This article will summarize notable changes in charging, plea bargaining and sentencing policy ? with an emphasis (consistent with the nature of this column) on the last...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on June 15, 2010 (boomark / email).