Today, we’re beginning our review of the Supreme Court’s voting record in criminal sentencing cases.

Between 1990 and 1999, the Court decided 50 criminal sentencing cases.  The Court found for the defendant 17 times and against defendants in 33 cases.  Between 1990 and 1994, defendants won only four of 21 cases.  From 1995 to 1999, defendants won 13 of 29 cases.

Twenty-three of these 50 cases were won by the defendants below.  Between 1990 and 1999, the defendants won affirmance in 10 of these 23 cases and were reversed 13 times.  Between 1990 and 1994, defendants won four times and lost seven cases.  From 1995 to 1999, defendants won six cases and lost six cases.

The remaining 27 cases were lost by the defendants at the Court of Appeal.  Defendants succeeded in obtaining reversals in seven of those cases, and the remaining 20 were affirmed.  Between 1990 and 1994, defendants’ Court of Appeal losses were affirmed in all ten sentencing cases.  Between 1995 and 1999, defendants received reversals in seven cases and lost ten cases.

Join us back here next time as we move on to the years 2000 through 2009.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Patrick Feller (no changes).