Three Years Post Booker

This study examined the effect of the Booker decision on federal sentencing. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in U.S. v. Booker that the federal sentencing guidelines were no longer mandatory merely advisory, restoring judges' discretion in sentencing. To assess the effect of this decision, United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) data from 2002 through 2008 was retrieved, assessed, and analyzed to ascertain possible trends for federal sentencing.