Concepcion v. United States

Holdings used

• A district court may consider intervening changes of law or fact when exercising discretion under First Step Act § 404.
• It must consider nonfrivolous arguments the parties present, but need not be persuaded and need provide only a brief statement of reasons.
• The benchmark Guidelines range may be recalculated only to reflect retroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act; other changes may inform the later discretionary choice.

Material limitations

The Court did not require a sentence reduction. The case decided a § 404 motion, not compassionate release. Its benchmark limitation forecloses treating the proceeding as an unrestricted plenary resentencing.

Official source and pinpoint

597 U.S. 481, 486 and 496–502, especially 498 n.6: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1650_new_4gci.pdf