Judiciary Committee looking at guidelines

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Tuesday hearing to examine the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Blakely v. Washington.

Committee chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the scrutiny is necessary in light of declarations like those from U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell that the high court's decision rendered the federal sentencing guidelines unconstitutional.

"Obviously, this will potentially have an enormous impact on our criminal justice system," Hatch said. "We have the premiere criminal justice system in the world, in part because the sentencing procedures are well settled and uniform."

Hatch encouraged others, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Sentencing Commission, to be prepared to address the issue and make any changes deemed necessary.

Ranking member Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the Judiciary Committee needs to take the lead in reshaping the guidelines "to bring consistency and proportionality to an often arbitrary and unfair process."