Congress Poised to End Use of Acquitted Conduct at Sentencing

April 7, 2021  |  New York Law Journal

For years, the defense bar has criticized courts’ ability to sentence defendants based on conduct for which a jury of their peers has acquitted them. As we explain in our latest article, although the Supreme Court has hesitated to review this arguably unconstitutional practice, Congress has taken up the torch with a new bipartisan bill that would ban it. The jury is still “out” on whether the bill will become law, but its introduction is a welcome sign of Congressional interest in preserving the jury’s crucial role as a bulwark of liberty.

Congress Poised to End Use of Acquitted Conduct at Sentencing (pdf | 190.63 KB)