Federal Sentencing Guidelines<\/a> provide a laundry list of mitigating factors that a court must consider.<\/p>\nSo, what to do with all of these possible mitigating circumstances for your sentencing memorandum? Focus the judge on the most important, and most persuasive ones. Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes once said of legal argument, \u201cOne has to try to strike the jugular and let the rest go.\u201d Justice Holmes was not only saying that \u201cbrevity is bliss,\u201d but that a few well-analyzed arguments are better than throwing a laundry list of mitigating factors and hoping some will stick with the judge.<\/p>\n
Accordingly, focus your reader on the three or four of the most important mitigation arguments, and get the most out of them.<\/p>\n
2. Accuracy Rather than Exaggeration<\/h2>\n The old adage that \u201cIf the law isn\u2019t on your side, and the facts aren\u2019t on your side, then you should pound your fist as hard as you can on counsel table\u201d is a stratagem that a savvy judge can see through as easily as a clear glass window. The better approach is to argue mitigating circumstances based on the facts of the case.<\/p>\n
There is nothing worse than making a strong argument in mitigation, only to be cut down by a prosecutor who can demonstrate to the court that you have been misleading or inaccurate in your presentation.<\/p>\n
3. Precedent is Persuasive<\/h2>\n It is always easier to do something, or make a particular choice, when you know that it has been done before. Judges are no different in that regard. If judges know that a particular lenient sentence was imposed in a similar case, the judge is more likely to consider that more-lenient sentence in your case.<\/p>\n
Therefore, do not be afraid to cite legal authority for the sentence you are advocating for in your sentencing memorandum. If your judge knows that other courts have found the same mitigating factors on similar facts, then the judge could be much more comfortable in agreeing with your recommendations.<\/p>\n
4. The Power of the Parsimony Principle<\/h2>\n Articulated in 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 3553(a), the parsimony principle requires that courts impose a sentence that is sufficient, but not greater than necessary,<\/em> to comply with the purposes of sentencing. You should look for ways in which to fold in the statutory purposes of criminal sentencing when presenting argument in your sentencing memorandum.<\/p>\nFor example, by recognizing that a sentence should \u201creflect the seriousness of an offense,\u201d and should \u201cprovide deterrence and respect for the law,\u201d you are showing the court that your recommendations are tied to the purposes of sentencing in the first place. Making the connection with statutory purpose will give your recommendation on sentencing that much more credibility.<\/p>\n
Moreover, there are more defendant-friendly sentencing purposes, such as \u201cavoiding unwarranted sentencing disparities,\u201d that allow you to remind the court about the problems of an overly harsh sentence.<\/p>\n
5. File Your Sentencing Memorandum at Least a Week Before the Sentencing Hearing<\/h2>\n As mentioned earlier, judges most often enter the sentencing hearing having already made up their minds on what sentence they will impose. In fact, it is likely that judges already have a good idea about what they might do after they read the presentence report.<\/p>\n
Imagine if you could get your arguments before the judge while he or she is still considering the sentencing options. That is precisely what the sentencing memorandum is meant to do. Accordingly, the sooner you get your sentencing memorandum before the judge, the better.<\/p>\n
In sum, if you keep these five essential aspects in mind when drafting your sentencing memorandum, you will be well on your way to making a strong case for the sentencing outcome you seek.<\/p>\n
For federal sentencing advocacy, representation, and sound advice, look no further than Brandon Sample, Esq. Call 802-444-HELP to learn more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The best way to present a cogent, organized, and persuasive sentencing argument is through a Sentencing Memorandum. As you may know, in either state or federal criminal court, the next stage following any criminal conviction is the sentencing stage. During this phase of the criminal process arguments from both sides are made to the judge,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[314],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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