Supreme Court·Argument analysis
Justices appear unlikely to change deference to sentencing-guidelines commentary in gun-sentencing case
At Tuesday's argument in Beaird v. United States, the justices appeared disinclined to upset the Court's 1993 Stinson v. United States rule giving weight to the U.S. Sentencing Commission's commentary on the federal guidelines, SCOTUSblog reported Friday. Chief Justice John Roberts said he did not see how deferring to non-binding advice from "an agency in the judicial branch" had much to do with the Court's 2024 Loper Bright decision, a point Justice Brett Kavanaugh echoed, while Justice Neil Gorsuch pressed questions about Loper Bright. The case arises from a firearm guideline that raises the recommended range when an offense involved a "semiautomatic firearm that is capable of accepting a large capacity magazine."
- SCOTUSblogCourt unlikely to alter deference to sentencing guidelines commentary