Rutherford v. United States · ¶116

Even if a district court were to start using compassionate release as an opportunity to usurp Congress's role and elevate its own policy preferences, the Government could appeal those outlier grants of compassionate release to the courts of appeals and, if necessary, to this Court. If a systemic solution were necessary, the Commission could issue another policy statement or Congress could enact legislation to prevent misuse of the compassionate-release statute. The solution is not, however, for this Court to conjure categorical limitations on courts' discretion that neither Congress nor the Commission imposed.

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