Opinion ID: 519520
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Calculation of the defendant's criminal history

Text: 17 Under the guidelines, a defendant's sentence is based upon two factors--the offense committed and the defendant's criminal history. The defendant's criminal history is to be calculated on a point scale. Points are assigned to prior convictions depending upon the length of the sentence and whether the instant offense was committed within two years of release from prison or while under any criminal sentence. 18 The appellants argue that calculating a defendant's sentence based upon the length of previous sentences perpetuates the sentencing disparity that Congress expressly sought to eliminate. In choosing this approach, the Commission sought to implement Congress's directive that sentences should be based upon both the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553. The Commission recognized the imperfections involved in using prior sentences to decide a defendant's criminal history, but adopted this approach for lack of any apparent, superior alternatives. To minimize any risk of injustice, the guidelines allow the defendant to introduce information concerning the seriousness of an underlying conviction so that an accurate criminal history category can be set by the district court. See Guideline 4A, commentary. This method violates no explicit statutory directive. It adequately accomplishes Congress's purposes.