United States v. Steele

If a criminal defendant is sentenced to a term of imprisonment based on a provision of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) that is subsequently amended by the Sentencing Commission, a federal sentencing court may, in some circumstances, reduce the defendant’s term of imprisonment based on the amended Guidelines provision. See 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). The question presented in this appeal is whether a sentencing court exercising this authority may give a defendant the additional benefit of a downward departure previously awarded in the original sentencing. We hold that…