Interesting new request to parties from federal judge sentencing Sean “Diddy” Combs
This new ABC News piece reports that the “judge who oversaw the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has asked both sides in the case to provide him with sentencing information ahead of the scheduled October sentencing date.” Here is more:
Judge Arun Subramanian said on Wednesday that he “would find it helpful” to have information about sentences imposed on defendants who were solely convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution and who, like Combs, have no prior criminal history. The judge said he wants a joint letter from prosecutors and defense attorneys submitted to him by Sept. 1.
“No argument should be included in this letter. The goal is for the parties’ subsequent sentencing submissions to address the cases identified in the September 1 filing, focusing on those that each side believes reflect sentences imposed for similarly situated defendants, if any. The Court appreciates the parties’ assistance in identifying these cases, as this information is not presently available from the Sentencing Commission,” Subramanian said in his request.
It was my general understanding that federal district judges could make a request to the US Sentencing Commission to assemble this kind of information. But it seems to me sound for Judge Subramanian to specifically ask the parties to assemble this information since any materials assembled indepenedently by the USSC would still get addessed (and possibly assailed) by the parties at some point in the sentencing process.
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