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Chattanooga Judge Pens Column About Judicial Discretion

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jul 21, 2026

U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Collier of the Eastern District of Tennessee and his law clerks Carrie Brown Stefaniak, Meghan Melkote and Alex Tritell recently published a column in Chattanoogan.com on judicial discretion and federal sentencing. The article looks at congressional guidance in imposing criminal sentencing, which encourages consideration of (1) the nature and circumstances of the crime, (2) the history and characteristics of the defendant, and (3) the need for the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the crime, promote respect for the law, provide just punishment for the offense, deter criminal conduct, protect the public, and provide the defendant with appropriate treatment.