{"argument_date":"2007-10-02T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2007-10-02T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2007","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","paragraphs":["Michael Nachmanoff argued the district court properly considered Section 3553(a) factors.","Paul Dreeben argued the statutory ratio reflects a coherent congressional judgment.","Justice Scalia questioned whether the Sentencing Commission should have acted more proportionately.","Justice Kennedy asked if Congress could have mandated the specific rationale used by the Fourth Circuit."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 29-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 47-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 47-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 7-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 7-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 47-7"}]}],"caption":"Derrick Kimbrough v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:27.673877Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether district courts may impose lower sentences for crack cocaine offenses despite the statutory 100-to-1 quantity ratio.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2007-10-02T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2007","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/06-6330.html","primary_docket":"06-6330","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T12:17:45.556505Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["Derrick Kimbrough challenges his federal sentence. He argues the district court properly exercised discretion under Section 3553(a). The government contends the statutory ratio mandates a specific sentencing structure."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 2, 2007."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Kimbrough wants the Supreme Court to affirm the district court's lower sentence.","The United States wants the Supreme Court to reverse the lower sentence and uphold the statutory ratio."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Kimbrough argues Section 3553(a) allows judges to consider individual circumstances over rigid ratios.","The United States argues the 100-to-1 ratio reflects a coherent congressional judgment that courts must respect."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Souter asked if the incoherence argument applies broadly to all sentencing ratios.","Justice Souter asked if any sentencing assumption other than the 100-to-1 ratio is unreasonable."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 29-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 47-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 47-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 7-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 7-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 47-7"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines whether federal judges retain discretion to deviate from the crack-to-powder cocaine sentencing ratio. It affects the consistency of federal drug sentencing nationwide. It shapes the balance between legislative mandates and judicial discretion in criminal punishment."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 29-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 47-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 47-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 7-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 7-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 17-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 17-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 3-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 47-7"}]}],"slug":"2007-06-6330-derrick-kimbrough-v-united-states","term":"2007","title":"Can a judge reject the 100-to-1 crack sentencing ratio?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 29-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 29-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2007/06-6330.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-33"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}