"The First Tell Was the File Name of the Principal Brief: 'Cocounsel Skill Results'"

Circuit Court Ruling Throws a Wrench into Justice Department's Sentencing Guidelines In a potentially game-changing decision, a three-judge panel from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a defendant in the case of U.S. v. Farris. The court's decision, handed down on Friday, has significant implications for the way prosecutors and judges approach sentencing in federal cases. At the heart of the ruling is a challenge to the Justice Department's use of "counsel skill" as a factor in determining a defendant's sentence. The decision has sparked debate among legal experts, who see it as a major blow to the government's ability to wield its sentencing guidelines with unchecked power.

From Friday's Sixth Circuit decision in U.S. v. Farris, by Judges Eric Clay, Julia Gibbons, and Whitney Hermandorfer: Howe [a… The post "The First Tell Was the File Name of the Principal Brief: 'Cocounsel Skill Results'" appeared first on Reason.com.