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Remarkable coda at end of First Circuit opinion affirming child porn sentence

By Douglas A. Berman

The First Circuit yesterday in US v. Stone, No. 08-1459 (1st Cir. Aug. 5, 2009) (available here), affirmed a long within-guideline sentence for a first offender in a child porn case.  The opinion talks through a number of sentencing issues, though what make the ruling  blog-worthy is this remarkabl final paragraph in Stone: We add a coda.  Sentencing is primarily the prerogative of the district court, and the sentence imposed in this case is within permissible limits.  There is no error of law and no abuse of discretion.  That said ? and mindful that we have faithfully applied the applicable standards of review ? we wish to express our view that the sentencing guidelines at issue are in our judgment harsher than necessary.  As described in the body of this opinion, first-offender sentences of this duration are usually reserved for crimes of violence and the like...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on August 06, 2009 (boomark / email).