Criminal
Jan. 13, 2025
Sentencing 2025: California cracks down, feds ease up
See more on Sentencing 2025: California cracks down, feds ease upSentencing trends highlight a stark divergence between California, where Proposition 36 signals a return to harsher penalties for repeat offenders and drug-related crimes, and the federal level, where reforms like the First Step Act and the "zero point offender" amendment continue to soften sentences for low-level and first-time offenders.
Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky
Partner
Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP
Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky is a partner at Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP and served as an assistant United States attorney from 2014-2023.
Looking ahead to 2025 for trends in sentencing in criminal cases, California and the federal government seem to be going in opposite directions. While California will see more prison sentences for relatively minor crimes because of the passage of Proposition 36 in November, there are a number of changes at the federal level to soften some of the harsher aspects of federal sentencing, especially for low-level and first-time offenders.
The "First Step Act:" A federa...
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