zlacker

>>tafda+(OP)
"Could be sentenced to" or "faces" means literally nothing.

https://www.popehat.com/2013/02/05/crime-whale-sushi-sentenc...

>>tptace+w6
“Faces up to…” means exactly what it says, that is “Faces a sentence that cannot exceed…”

Now, it doesn’t (in general) mean “Is likely to receive, if convicted”, which some people tend to assume, but it also doesn’t mean nothing. And given the fact that upward departure is allowed from the federal sentencing guidelines, but not from the statutory maximums for the offenses charged, it is literally all you can tell with certainty from the charges themselves.

>>dragon+f7
Is the maximum sentence particularly useful information? How does this fact aid my understanding of the severity of what he's done?

>>teduna+7a
> Is the maximum sentence particularly useful information? How does this fact aid my understanding of the severity of what he's done?

In this case, probably not - 20 years is pretty stiff, and the crime implies that typical sentences are much less than that.

But if the maximum sentence was say... 6 months instead; or just a fine. Yeah - I think that would be useful information.