Federal Sentencing Legal Updates & News

Regulatory changes, notable case developments, and legal analysis from the Sentencing Guidelines Research Desk network.

August 18, 2026

Overview of Federal Sentencing Guidelines

Research note on how the Sentencing Commission's guidelines combine offense levels and criminal history, with verbatim excerpts from 28 U.S.C. § 991 and the Guidelines Manual.

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August 18, 2026

The Role of U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1

Research note on the theft-and-fraud guideline: base offense levels, the loss table, and departures under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).

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August 17, 2026

How Federal Sentencing Works

Step-by-step research guide to the federal sentencing process, from the presentence report through the § 3553(a) factors and the safety valve.

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August 17, 2026

The Loss Table in U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1

Plain-language explanation of the loss table in the fraud guideline and how loss drives the offense level calculation.

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August 17, 2026

Sentences Reported in Recent Appellate Opinions

A roundup of sentences exactly as stated in recent federal opinions retrieved through the CourtListener API; no figures beyond the opinions themselves.

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New research notes are added to this archive as courts publish additional decisions.

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