In re Sentencing

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

WEINSTEIN, Senior District Judge.

I. Introduction

The sentencing of criminal defendants has traditionally involved questions of fairness and justice. Judges charged with this duty approach the task with solemnity, recognizing its centrality to the rule of law and the credibility of the judiciary. See, e.g., Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81, 116 S.Ct. 2035, 135 L.Ed.2d 392 (1996); Kate Stith & Jose Cabranes, Fear of Judging: Sentencing Guidelines in the Federal Courts (1998). With the advent of the United States Sentencing Commission and Guidelines in 1981, the ability of…