US Supreme Court criticizes abusive lengthening of prison sentences

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (AFP) - The US Supreme Court criticized, in a ruling released Wednesday, some terms of federal rules for determining prison sentences in criminal courts, and noted that a judge cannot opt single-handedly to extend a sentence.
In a 5-4 vote, the judges complained that the rules required federal judges to extend sentences based on facts of which they are aware, even though only a jury is constitutionally empowered to do so.
But the high court did not go so far as to nullify federal sentencing regulations that stem from a 1984 law adopted by Congress which calls for a sentence to reflect every infraction.

01/12/2005 17:44 GMT - AFP