Until the 1980s, judges generally had wide discretion in handing down sentences. The system’s shift toward punishment brought with it changes in sentencing procedures. State legislatures began adopting sentencing guidelines

Until the 1980s, judges generally had wide discretion in handing down sentences. The system’s shift toward punishment brought with it changes in sentencing procedures. State legislatures began adopting sentencing guidelines that legally limited the judges’ discretion. In the past, some judges imposed sentences that were too lenient. Therefore, sentencing guidelines were developed in an effort to bring uniformity and rationality to sentencing and to curb what was perceived to be the excessive power of judges in matters of sentencing. Currently, many states have their own sentencing guidelines, and the federal system has its own guidelines as well. Federal sentencing guidelines are regulations that lay down a uniform sentencing policy for convicted defendants in the US federal court system. By , in at least 250 words, post your answers to the following questions: Use both the textbook and reputable outside resources from the Internet and Argosy University online library resources to locate the laws, statutes, and cases. All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric, and carefully read the rubric to understand the expectations.