On November 1st, 2023, the new Federal Sentencing Guidelines went into effect. The Sentencing Guidelines are produced by the United States Sentencing Commission and are part of the framework that a federal judge considers at any federal sentencing hearing. The sentencing range according to the Sentencing Guidelines must be calculated by the judge and is thought of as a starting place for federal sentencing. When new guidelines are issued, sometimes those guidelines are made retroactive, meaning they will apply to people who have already been sentenced.
In this new update to the Guidelines, there are two retroactive changes having to do with a person’s criminal history score in the calculation of the guideline range. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has issued an order appointing the Indiana Federal Community Defenders to these cases. In other words, our office may represent those persons potentially eligible for a reduction to their sentence.
The Indiana Federal Community Defenders is beginning a project to help those who are eligible to have their sentences reduced. Our office will prioritize these cases by release date. No one can be released on these motions until February 1, 2024. If you think you or your loved one is eligible for a reduction, please call our office at (317)383-3520.
Our office has been managing sentence reduction projects for decades. There is always a project ongoing. So if ultimately you or your loved one is not eligible, don’t give up hope. We are here for you and will look at your case again for the next project.
