Quick retroactivity thoughts

Many are asking, for understandable reasons, about the prospect of Booker‘s retroactive application. The simple answer is that Booker does not speak to the question, and thus some future case (soon?) will have to make a definitive ruling on this issue. However, as a number of commentators have already noted, the dueling opinions for the Court seem to provide conflicting tea leaves to read.

Justice Stevens’ opinion for the Court suggests the Court is just “reaffirm[ing] our holding in Apprendi” which might suggest application back to 2000, while Justice Breyer’s opinion for the Court speaks of Booker as if it is a “new rule” only applicable to pending cases.  Of course, even if Booker is a new rule, arguments can (and surely will) be made that this new rule fits into one of Teague‘s exceptions so as to be retroactive.  But, as others like TalkLeft here have suggested, offenders whose convictions and sentences are final should not find much that is encouraging in Booker. And, especially since the lower courts have already been consistently resisting claims that Apprendi and/or Blakely are retroactive, I forecast a lot of litigation from, and little relief for, prisoners with final convictions.

But, as I have suggested here and here, retroactivity should not be a concern only of the courts. All branches of government pledge commitment to the US Constitution, and thus all branches of government should be concerned if a large number of defendants have been unconstitutionally sentenced. Indeed, I think executive and legislative officials, as well as the US Sentencing Commission, have a constitutional responsibility to at least consider possible remedies for already-sentenced defendants who, because of judicial retroactivity doctrines, may not get relief in the courts. But this is true ivory tower wishful thinking: I would be truly shocked if anyone talks at all about providing relief for old cases (beyond what courts might order), even though in a perfect world this would be a serious topic for conversation.