They take into consideration a variety of factors bearing on the severity of the offense, such as the quantity of drugs or amount of money. They then determine how bad the defendant's criminal record is. The severity of the offense and the criminal record are given numerical values. A table, similar to an income tax table, lists the offense severity ratings on left and six criminal history categories on the top. Just as with a tax table, the sentence range appears where the criminal history column and the offense severity row intersect.
Any person facing a federal charge needs a competent and diligent attorney.
The sentences in federal court are so severe that even small mistakes in dealing with the guidelines can mean a difference of 10 years or more in the sentence imposed.