Below are the Defender Recommendations from 2005 to Present. Please click on the link title to expand the list of recommendations. DEFENDER RECOMMENDATIONS YEARS 2016 TO PRESENT Defender Annual Comment to the Commission (10/30/2020) Defender Annual Comment to the Commission (10/10/2019) Reply Comment on Proposed 2019 Amendments Defender Public Reply Comment on Proposed 2019 Amendments Defender Public Comment on Proposed 2019 Amendments Defender Public Comment on Proposed Amendments March 2018 Defender Public Comment on MDMA, Methylone, Synthetic Cathinones Aug 2017 Defender Letter of 3/10/17 Regarding MDMA/Ecstasy, MDPV, Methylone, Mephedrone, JWH-018, AM-2201 Defender Public Comment of 2/20/17 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2017 Defender Public Comment of 3/21/16 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2016 DEFENDER RECOMMENDATIONS YEARS 2011 THROUGH 2015 Defender Public Comment of 11/25/15 on Proposed Amendment Regarding Crimes of Violence and Related Issues Defender Public Comment of 3/18/15 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2015 Defender Public Comment of 7/7/14 on Retroactivity of Drug Table Amendments Statement of Sarah Gannett Before the Commission Public Hearing of June 10, 2014 on Retroactivity of the 2014 Guideline Amendments to SS2D1.1 and SS2D1.11 Defender Public Comment of 3/18/14 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2014 Defender Letter of 11/20/13 Regarding Commission's 2013 Symposium on Economic Offenses Defender Public Comment of 7/15/13 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Priorities for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2014 Defender Public Comment of 3/19/13 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2013 Defender Letter of 12/3/12 Regarding Suggestions for Commission's Report on Sentencing After Booker v. United States Defender Public Comment of 7/23/12 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Amendments Ending May 1 2013 Defender Public Comment of 3/19/12 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Amendments for 2012 Statement of Kathryn N. Nester Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 14, 2012 on Dodd-Frank Act/Fraud Offenses Statement of Melanie Morgan Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 14, 2012 on Human Rights Offenses Statement of Penny Beardslee Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 14, 2012 (Re: How to Base Penalties for BZP) Statement of Marjorie Meyers Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 14, 2012 (Re: Various Criminal History Calculations) Statement of Raymond Moore Before the Commission Public Hearing on the Current State of Federal Sentencing (2/16/12) Statement of Henry Bemporad Before the Commission Public Hearing on "Improving the Advisory Guideline System" (2/16/12) Statement of Michael Nachmanoff Before the Commission Public Hearing on "Restoring Mandatory Guidelines" (2/16/12) Statement of Deirdre D. von Dornum Before the Commission Public Hearing of February 15, 2012 on Child Pornography Sentencing PowerPoint Presentation by Gerald R. Grant Jr., Before the Commission Public Hearing of February 15, 2012 on Child Pornography Sentencing Defender Public Comment of 9/7/11 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Priorities for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2012 (Priority 3 - Booker) Defender Public Comment of 8/30/11 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Priorities for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2012 (Priority 7 - Departures) Defender Public Comment of 8/29/11 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Priorities for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2012 (Priority 1 - Mandatory Minimums) Defender Public Comment of 8/26/11 Regarding Commission's Notice of Proposed Priorities for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2012 (Priorities 2, 4-6 and 8-10: Fraud, Drug, Child Pornography, and Human Rights Offenses; Recidivism Definitions; 5K2.19; BZP; Defender Supplementary Public Comment of 6/7/11 Regarding Retroactivity of Amendments Pertaining to Drug Offenses Defender Public Comment of 6/6/11 Regarding Retroactivity of Amendments Pertaining to Drug Offenses Defender Letter of 6/6/11 Regarding Proposed Priorities for 2011-2012 Statement of Michael Nachmanoff Before the Commission Public Hearing on Retroactive Application of the Guideline Amendments Implementing the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (06/1/11) Defender Public Comment of 3/21/11 Regarding Proposed Amendments for 2011 Testimony of Kyle Welch Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17, 2011 on Proposed Firearms Amendments for 2011 Testimony of James T. Skuthan Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17, 2011 on Proposed Drug Amendments for 2011 Supplemental Written Testimony of Hector Dopico Before the Commission Public Hearing of February 16, 2011 on Proposed Fraud Amendments for 2011 Testimony of Hector Dopico Before the Commission Public Hearing of February 16, 2011 on Proposed Fraud Amendments for 2011 Testimony of Jane McClellan Before the Commission Public Hearing of February 16, 2011 on Proposed Illegal Reentry & Supervised Release Amendments for 2011 DEFENDER RECOMMENDATIONS YEARS 2005 THROUGH 2010 Defender Public Comment of 10/8/10 Regarding Proposed Amendment: Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 Defender Public Comment of 9/13/10 Regarding Retroactivity of the Proposed Amendment Eliminating Recency Points Under SS 4A1.1(e) Defender Letter of 8/18/10 Regarding the Commission's Proposed Priorities for Cycle Ending May 1, 2011 Defender Letter of 8/19/10 Regarding the Commission's Priorities 1 and 2 (Advisory Guideline System; Statutory Mandatory Minimums) Statement of Michael Nachmanoff Before the Commission Public Hearing on Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Provisions Under Federal Law (05/27/10) Written Statement of Margy Meyers and Marianne Mariano Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17, 2010 on Proposed Amendments for 2010 (Re: Alternatives to Incarceration, Specific Offender Characteristics, Application Instructions, and Recency) and Appendix A Defender Public Comment of 3/22/10 Regarding Proposed Amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines Issued January 21, 2010 Defender Letter of 1/22/10 Regarding Follow Up to 1/21/10 Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" Statement of Heather E. Williams Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (1/21/10) Statement of Henry J. Bemporad Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (1/21/10) Statement of Julia O'Connell Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (11/19/09) Statement of Jason D. Hawkins Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (11/19/09) Statement of Nicholas T. Drees Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (10/21/09) Statement of Raymond Moore Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (10/21/09) Statement of Carol A. Brook Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (9/10/09) Statement of Jacqueline A. Johnson Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (9/10/09) Defender Letter of 8/24/09 Regarding Proposed Priority Policy Issues for Amendment Cycle Ending May 1, 2010 Statement of Michael Nachmanoff Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (7/9/09) Statement of Alexander Bunin Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (7/9/09) Testimony of Thomas W. Hillier II and Davina Chen Before the Commission Public Hearing on The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later (5/27/09) Defender Letter of 4/9/09 Regarding the Role of Empirical Evidence in Guideline Development and Amendment; and How the Commission Should Respond to Congressional Directives Defender Public Comment of 3/30/09 Regarding the Court Security Act of 2007 Defender Public Comment of 3/30/09 Regarding Proposed Amendments Related to Bleached Notes Defender Public Comment of 3/30/09 Regarding Proposed Amendments to the Undue Influence of a Minor Enhancement in SS SS 2A3.2 and 2G1.3 Defender Public Comment of 3/27/09 Regarding ID Theft and Computer Crimes Defender Public Comment of 3/27/09 Regarding Proposed Amendments Related to the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 Defender Public Comment of 3/27/09 Regarding Proposed Amendments Related to the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 Defender Public Comment of 3/27/09 Regarding Proposed Amendments Related to Submersible Vessels Defender Public Comment of 3/27/09 Regarding Proposed Miscellaneous Amendments Written Statement of Jon Sands Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008) and Testimony of Jon Sands Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Court Security Improvement Act of 2007) Written Statement of Donna Elm Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Submersible Vessels) Written Statement of Lesley Whitcomb Fierst Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act) Testimony of Jennifer N. Coffin Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: offenses involving computer crimes and the misuse of identifying information) Written Statement of Jon Sands Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Influencing a Minor) Written Statement of Jon Sands Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Counterfeiting and "Bleached Notes") Written Statement of Jon Sands Before the Commission Public Hearing of March 17-18, 2009 on Proposed Amendments for 2009 (Re: Housing and Recovery Act of 2008; Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008; Judicial Administration and Technical Amendments Act of 2008; Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act of 2007 and the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008; Firearms Guideline, SS2K2.1; and 18 U.S.C. SS 2252A(a)(7)) Testimony of Alan Dubois and Nicole Kaplan Before the Commission Public Hearing on "The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984: 25 Years Later" (2/10/09) Defender Public Comment of 12/8/08 on Commission Action in Response to Pub. L. 110-326, SS 209 (A Directive Relating to Identity Theft and Computer Crimes) Defender Public Comment Testimony of 12/8/08 Related to Briefing on Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 Defender Public Comment of 12/5/08 Related to Briefing on Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008 Defender Letter of 9/8/08 Regarding Final Priorities for Cycle Ending May 1, 2009 Defender Letter of 7/16/08 Proposing Priorities for 2008-2009 Defender Letter of 3/21/08 Following Up on Issues Regarding Proposed Amendments to USSG SS 2L1.2 That Arose at March 13 Hearing Defender Letter of 3/17/08 Regarding Solution to Crack-to-Marijuana Equivalency Table Testimony of Maureen Franco Before the Commission Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments for 2008 (3/13/08) Testimony of Marianne Mariano Before the Commission Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments for 2008 (3/13/08) Defender Letter of 3/11/08 Regarding Recent Case Addressing Crack-to-Marijuana Equivalency Table Defender Letter of 3/6/08 Regarding Proposed 2008 Guideline Amendments Defender Letter of 2/22/08 Regarding Two Recent Cases Addressing Crack-to-Marijuana Equivalency Table Testimony of Marjorie A. Meyers Before the Commission Public Hearing on Disaster Fraud Amendments (2/3/08) Testimony of Lisa B. Freeland Before the Commission Public Hearing on Retroactivity (November 13, 2007) Testimony of Stephen R. Sady Before the Commission Public Hearing on Retroactivity (November 13, 2007) Defender Comments and Written Testimony of 10/31/07 Regarding Retroactivity of Amendments to Crack Guideline and Criminal History Guideline Defender Letter of 8/23/07 in Response to Commission's Published Priorities for 2007-2008 Defender Letter of 7/31/07 Regarding Victims Advisory Group Defender Letter of 7/9/07 Proposing Priorities for 2007-2008 Letter of 4/24/07 Regarding Support of Amendment to Crack Cocaine Guideline (signed by The Practitioners' Advisory Group to the United States Sentencing Commission, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, FPD and Community Defenders Defender Comments on Proposed 2007 Guideline Amendments (Letters dated 3/2/07-3/30/07 covering various topics; click on the link for access to each letter) Defender Letter of 11/ 27/06 Regarding Follow-Up on Commission Priorities Defender Letter of 11/16/06 Regarding Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 Testimony of A.J. Kramer Before the Commission Public Hearing on Cocaine and Sentencing Policy (11/14/06) Defender Letter of 11/6/06 Regarding the Commission's Responses to Five New Offenses (Border Tunnels and Passages; Narco-Terrorism; Public Employee Insignia and Uniform; Fallen Heroes; International Marriage Brokers) Defender Letter of 7/14/06 Regarding Reduction in Term of Imprisonment Upon Motion of BOP Director (Policy Statement) Defender Letter of 7/19/06 Proposing Priorities for 2007 Defender Letter of 3/30/06 with Supplementary Comments on Firearms Proposals Defender Memo of 3/30/06 with Supplemental Information on Firearms Defender Letter of 3/13/06 Regarding 2006 Proposed Amendments Defender Letter of 3/9/06 Regarding Firearms Proposals Draft Testimony of Jon M. Sands and Reuben Camper Cahn Before the Commission Public Hearing on Immigration Amendments (3/6/06) Testimony of Marjorie A. Meyers and Lucien B. Campbell Before the Commission Public Hearing on Immigration Amendments (2/21/06) Defender Letter of 1/10/06 Regarding Report on Federal Sentencing Since United States v. Booker Defender Letter of 8/5/05 Regarding Commission's Proposed Priority Policy Issues for Cycle Ending May 1, 2006 Defender Letter of 8/3/05 Regarding Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005; Intellectual Property Protection and Courts Amendment Act of 2004; and CAN SPAM Warning Label Offense
