United States Sentencing Commission
The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency within the judicial branch of the United States and is responsible for the definition of mandatory principles for sentencing in federal courts. The Commission shall publish the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which replace the previous one, based on the discretion of the judge system.
The Congress, the Commission created in 1984 with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act. The constitutionality of the Authority was v. United Statess confirmed in the judgment of the case Mistretta, in which the Supreme Court held that Congress has the power to delegate the determination of sentencing policy to an independent authority.
The Commission consists of seven voting members who are appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate for a term of six years. Re- appointments after the end of the term are permitted. Not more than three of the members must be federal judges and no more than four may belong to the same political party. The Attorney General and the Chairman of the United States Parole Commission are ex officio members of the Commission also.