Supreme Court Ruling on Sentencing in Drug Conspiracy Cases (1996)
The 1996 Supreme Court decision established the authority of sentencing judges, rather than juries, to definitively determine both the specific drug type and the overall quantity involved in cases of drug conspiracy, as per the established sentencing guidelines.
Drug Sentencing in Conspiracies
The 1996 Supreme Court ruling established that the determination of drug type and quantity within the context of sentencing guidelines for drug conspiracies falls under the purview of the sentencing judge, not the jury.
Drug Sentencing and the Supreme Court
In a 1996 ruling, the Supreme Court decided that judges, not juries, have the final say on the type and amount of drugs involved in drug conspiracy cases when determining sentences. This means that while a jury decides guilt or innocence, the judge uses their own judgment to figure out the specifics of the crime for sentencing purposes, based on the guidelines in place.
Summary
In 1996, the Supreme Court said that judges, not juries, decide what kind and how much drugs were involved when people are accused of working together to sell drugs.