ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR YOU
UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES
Criminal cases in federal court are governed by two important sources of law. First, there are criminal laws created by the Congress of the United States. These laws define various criminal offenses and set forth minimum and maximum punishments. The Sentencing Guidelines supplement the criminal laws and are used as a guide by judges and prosecutors in imposing and seeking criminal sentences.
UNITED STATES CRIMINAL CODE
Title 18 of the United States Code contains most, though not all, of the federal criminal offenses. In order for a crime to be a federal offense, it must have some type of federal connection, or relationship to interstate commerce. Crimes that don't have such a connection can only be charged in state court. A link to Title 18 is accessible below.