[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/sentencing-guidelines\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/sentencing-guidelines\/","headline":"Federal Sentencing Guidelines &#038; How They Work","name":"Federal Sentencing Guidelines &#038; How They Work","description":"When you&#8217;re trying to understand what happens after a federal conviction, you&#8217;re probably asking: What are the federal sentencing guidelines? How do they affect the sentence for federal government cases? Do they always apply? These guidelines are a framework that federal judges use when deciding penalties. They&#8217;re detailed and technical\u2014and often confusing if you&#8217;re seeing...","datePublished":"2026-04-13","dateModified":"2026-04-13","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/author\/kissprblog\/#Person","name":"Broden &amp; Mickelsen, LLP","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/author\/kissprblog\/","identifier":11,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd70e3cfe21ebfb97a169f95da73c8b9fdb6accce8b9ecb2173146feb882a8ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd70e3cfe21ebfb97a169f95da73c8b9fdb6accce8b9ecb2173146feb882a8ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Broden, Mickelsen LLP","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Broden-and-Mickelsen-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Broden-and-Mickelsen-Logo.png","width":378,"height":77}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Federal-Sentencing-Guidelines-and-How-They-Work.png","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Federal-Sentencing-Guidelines-and-How-They-Work.png","height":565,"width":1197},"url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/sentencing-guidelines\/"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/sentencing-guidelines\/#BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Federal Crimes","item":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Federal Sentencing Guidelines &#038; How They Work","item":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/federal-criminal-defense\/sentencing-guidelines\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]