DC federal court chief judge: 'Public criticism or pressure is not a factor' after Trump ripped prop
DC federal court chief judge: 'Public criticism or pressure is not a factor' after Trump ripped proposed sentence for Roger Stone
CNN Digital Expansion 2018 Katelyn Polantz
By Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Updated 8:18 PM ET, Thu February 13, 2020
(CNN)The top judge on the Washington, DC, federal district court said Thursday that judges in the federal court will not be influenced by public criticism after tweets sent earlier this week by President Donald Trump over the sentencing recommendation for his former adviser, Roger Stone.
"The Judges of this Court base their sentencing decisions on careful consideration of the actual record in the case before them; the applicable sentencing guidelines and statutory factors; the submissions of the parties, the Probation Office and victims; and their own judgment and experience," said DC District Court Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. "Public criticism or pressure is not a factor."
Hand-wringing overtook Washington this week following the Justice Department's lessening of its sentencing recommendation in the Stone case and four prosecutors quitting the case in protest.
But Howell's statement on Thursday is a reminder that the courts operate separately from the politics of the executive branch -- and that no matter what the Justice Department asks for, judges alone have the authority to decide the sentences criminal defendants should serve.
More:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/13/politics/beryl-howell-roger-stone-donald-trump/index.html
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