When it comes to dealing with convicted defendants, a trial judge speaks with great authority, and appeals courts usually decline to review his sentences. The theory is that by training, experience and knowledge of the particular case, the trial judge is best equipped to determine a just punishment. Now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has imposed a new limitation on the sentencing power of trial judges in its jurisdiction.
After Janice Weston, 31, was found guilty in Seattle of possessing more than a pound of heroin, Federal Judge Roger Foley said that he...
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