In Rare Ruling Vacating Sentence as Procedurally, Substantively Unreasonable, Second Circuit Expounds on the Role of Mercy

In United States v. Singh, No. 16-1111-cr (Dec. 12, 2017), the Second Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Denny Chin, vacated the defendant's 60-month prison sentence—which was nearly three times the top of his Guidelines range—for illegally reentering the United States after the commission of an aggravated felony on the grounds that it was both procedurally and substantively unreasonable. This opinion stands out as a rare ruling striking down a sentence as substantively unreasonable. It is also notable for the Court's musings on the role of mercy in the sentencing process.

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