Monday, August 24, 2026

U.S. v. Aguilera (9th Cir. - Aug. 24, 2026)

According to this opinion, when a 27-year veteran judge in the Northern District of California, a graduate of Harvard Law School, was told that the federal sentences guidelines allow a defendant to go to trial and yet still ask for a 2-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility, his response was "I didn't realize that." (See page 15.)

Surprising.