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If You’re Unlucky or Black, Your Prison Sentence Could Be 63 Percent Longer
by Douglas Ankney
A new report from the U.S. Sentencing Commission reveals that the length of a defendant’s prison sentence increasingly depends on the whims of the judge. For example, in Philadelphia, some of the judges ordered sentences 63 percent longer than their colleagues for identical crimes. …
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Using Technology to Erase Old Pot Convictions is the Buzz in Los Angeles, by Douglas Ankney
- Criticizing Cops is a Criminal Act in Many States, by Edward Lyon
- Illinois Data Collection Law Set to Expire; Collected Data Reveal Police Target Black and Latino Drivers, by Douglas Ankney
- The Many Pitfalls Associated With Police Lineups, by Edward Lyon
- Tennessee Legislature’s Investigation Finds Inadequate Supervision of Private Probation, by Derek Gilna
- If You’re Unlucky or Black, Your Prison Sentence Could Be 63 Percent Longer, by Douglas Ankney
- Prosecutors Regret Man’s Wrongful Conviction in 1983 Florida Rape and Murder
- New York Court of Appeals: Jury Trial Right Attaches to Deportable Crimes Punishable by Less Than Six Months in Jail, by David Reutter
- Ninth Circuit: Habeas Petitioner Need Only Show That IAC Claims Are Substantial to Excuse Procedural Default Under Martinez, by Chad Marks
- Pennsylvania Governor Signs Into Law New Bills to Help Convicts, Extends Postconviction Filing Time Limits
- Don’t Shoot the Dogs: The Growing Epidemic of Cops Shooting Family Dogs, by John W. Whitehead
- Dallas County Judge’s ‘Blank Check’ Warrant Questioned; Case Dismissed, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit: Washington State Accomplice Liability Drug Offenses Not ACCA Predicates, by Mark Wilson
- McDNA: The DNA Testing Equivalent to Fast Food, by Edward Lyon
- Kansas Supreme Court Overturns Sentence for Vindictiveness, by Anthony Accurso
- Eighth Circuit: Misprision of Felony Conviction of Participant in Underlying Felony Violates Fifth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
- DEA Used Decades of Warrantless Phone Data in Building Parallel Construction Cases, by Steve Horn
- Sixth Circuit Holds IAC When Counsel Fails to Warn of Possibility of Deportation as Result of Plea Bargain, by Dale Chappell
- Oregon Supreme Court: State Prohibited From Introducing Breath Test Refusal as Evidence of DUI, by Mark Wilson
- Intoxicated Driving Convictions for Non-Drinking Drivers, by Edward Lyon
- Appointed Defense Lawyers, Public Defenders: Overworked, Underpaid, Ineffective, by Edward Lyon
- Supreme Court of Delaware: Lawyer’s Mere Presence the Day of Trial Violates Sixth Amendment Under Cronic Standard, by Chad Marks
- Sixth Circuit Rejects Kentucky Supreme Court’s Ruling That Defendant-Lawyers Are Never Without Counsel and Not Entitled to Faretta Hearing, by Dale Chappell
- NJ Supreme Court: Failure to Advise Suspect of Pending Charges Before Waiver of Right Against Self-Incrimination Requires Suppression of Statements, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit Vacates Revocation Sentence for Improperly Considering Rehabilitation, by Anthony Accurso
- Eighth Circuit Vacates Supervised Release Conditions Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption and Setting Curfew Not Contained in Plea Agreement, by Matthew Clarke
- Knowing Sexual Offense Facts Important; Paying Attention to Them Critical, by Sandy Rozek
- Second Circuit Rules 68-Month Delay Violates Speedy Trial Clause, by Douglas Ankney
- Pennsylvania District Court Explores the Growing Conflict Between Federal Laws, Which Still Prohibit the Use of Any Amounts of Marijuana, and State Laws, Which Increasingly Authorize the Use of Medical Marijuana and Decriminalize the Use of Small Amounts, by Punch & Jurists
- When Prosecuting Crimes by Police, Feds Appear to Move Slowly, by Edward Lyon
- Unreasonable Delay in Obtaining Search Warrant after Lawful Seizure Requires Suppression of Evidence, Announces Georgia Supreme Court, by Douglas Ankney
- Fourth Circuit: 9-Year Increase in Guidelines Range Due to Misclassification as Career Offender Warrants § 2241 Petition to Be Heard on Merits When § 2255 Relief Unavailable, by David Reutter
- Georgia Supreme Court Says Visually Impaired Defendant Entitled to Appointment of a Reader, by Douglas Ankney
- The Holloway Doctrine and First Step Act: Federal Judge Issues Order Urging Government to Dismiss One of Two 18 U.S.C. §924(c) Stacking Convictions, by Chad Marks
- Portion of Illinois Sex Offender Law is Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
- Third Circuit: Reason for Continuance Must be Given to Exclude Delay from 70-Day Limit of Speedy Trial Act or Dismissal of Indictment, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit: FBI’s Ruse Claiming National Emergency to Obtain Consent to Search Held Unlawful, by Douglas Ankney
- Illinois Supreme Court: Warrantless Dog Sniff of Apartment Front Door in Locked Building Violates Fourth Amendment, by David Reutter
- Fourth Circuit Rules District Court Must Provide Individualized Rationale When Denying Motion for Sentence Reduction, by Douglas Ankney
- Suspected Mishandling of DNA Tests Puts Cases on Hold in Fort Worth, Texas, by Michael Berk
- Misconduct by prosecutors is rampant — how do we deter it?, by Mike Fawer
- Nebraska’s Beatrice Six Will Collect $28.1 Million Jury Award, by Edward Lyon
- Connecticut Supreme Court Rejects Davis and Announces State Constitution Requires Police to Clarify Ambiguous Request for Counsel Before Continuing Interrogation, by Douglas Ankney
- Habeas Hints: Discovery on Habeas Corpus, by Kent Russell, Tara Hoveland
- Flipping the Bird, Even Toward a Cop, Is a Constitutionally Protected Right, by Douglas Ankney
- Prosecutors Dropping Child Porn Charges After Software Tools Are Questioned, by Jack Gillum
More from Douglas Ankney:
- The Trial Penalty: How America Abandoned the Right to Trial, Nov. 15, 2025
- Third Circuit Upholds Award of $265,000 to Prisoner Who Was Sexually Assaulted Twice by the Same Guard, Aug. 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Announces When Initial § 2255 Petition Not Decided on Merits and Appeals Court Later Recalls Mandate Dismissing Direct Appeal and Affirms Conviction, Subsequent § 2255 Petition Not ‘Second or Successive’ Under AEDPA, Aug. 1, 2025
- $340,000 for Former Massachusetts Prisoner Whose Baby Was Stillborn, July 15, 2025
- New Jersey Supreme Court Refuses Guard’s Challenge to Firing for Failing to Report Kiss with Prisoner, July 15, 2025
- New York City Loses Bid to Withhold Jail Records, July 15, 2025
- Eleventh Circuit Announces New Deliberate Indifference Framework in Dismissing Georgia Prisoner’s Claim for Skipped Anti-Seizure Meds, July 15, 2025
- Washington Jail Settles DOJ Allegations of ADA Noncompliance in Failure to Treat Opioid Use Disorder, July 15, 2025
- Ohio Supreme Court Says Sheriff Must Get and Disclose Records of Private Contractors, July 15, 2025
- Third Circuit Rejects U.S. Sentencing Commission Amended Compassionate Release Policy, July 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- DOJ Finds Unconstitutional Conditions in Texas Juvenile Detention, Aug. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Sentencing, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Failure to Protect (Juveniles), Juvenile Prisons.
- $6.75 Million Settlement Reached in Suit Accusing Massachusetts Guards of Retaliatory Assaults on Prisoners, Aug. 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, Retaliation, Guard Brutality/Beatings.
- Multiple Prisoner Suits Accuse Guards of Violence at Virginia BOP Lockup, Aug. 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, False Charges (Disciplinary Hearings), Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Discrimination (Transgender).
- Prison Gerrymandering Alive and Well in Oklahoma, Aug. 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, Census.
- Class Incarceration Has Become a Prominent Factor in Mass Incarceration, July 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, Racial Profiling, Racial/Ethnic Bias/Profiling, Bias/Discrimination, Police Bias, Disproportionality.
- Georgia Moves to Shield Intellectually Disabled Prisoners from Execution, June 1, 2025. Sentencing, Death Penalty.
- Fourth Circuit: District Court Failed to Provide Sufficient Explanation for Sentence Imposed and Did Not Address Defendant’s Arguments for Downward Variant Sentence, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Drug Laws/Offenses.
- Fourth Circuit: Procedurally Unreasonable Sentence Where District Court Failed to Address Defendant’s Non-Frivolous Downward Variance Argument Based on Sentencing Disparity Due to Which State’s Statute Prior Conviction Based Upon, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Failure To Consider Disparity, Federal-State Differences/Disparity/Conflicts, Disparity in Charging/Sentencing Practices.
- SCOTUS Announces Only ‘False’ Statements Made to FDIC Are Criminalized Under 18 U.S.C. § 1014, Not Statements That Are ‘Misleading’ but True, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, False Statements/Perjury.
- Maryland Targets Highest-in-Nation Racial Incarceration Gap, May 1, 2025. Racial Discrimination, Racial/Ethnic Bias/Profiling.





