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Set for Sentencing Podcast with Doug Passon

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Over a million people a year will face sentencing.  For a client and their loved ones, it will be the most important day of their lives.

Unlike at trial, there is virtually no limit to the kind of information a lawyer can credibly present to advocate for their client and demonstrate their humanity at sentencing.

My passion is helping lawyers and clients craft their most compelling sentencing narratives.  So, I was inspired to create this new podcast drawing on my 25+ years of criminal defense experience, my passion for storytelling, my expertise in producing mitigation videos, and my years spent consulting and developing compelling case narratives that get real results.

In Set for Sentencing, I present cutting edge resources, world-class experts, and the straight scoop on our often dysfunctional system -- all in service to one goal -- to bring more justice, more humanity, and more hope to the sentencing process.

So, are you ready? Then let's get SET FOR SENTENCING!

Rated Top Criminal Defense Podcast

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Latest Episodes

Seismic Shift: Big Changes to the Sentencing Guidelines & the Country

Although we often complain about the sentencing guidelines, this week, I find myself thankful that we still live in a country that has courts and due process, in the federal criminal courts.  At least for now. So today, we celebrate the death of guideline departures, lament the death of due process in immigration, and worry…
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Reign of Terror: Tesla, Luigi Mangione, & Beyond

I’m back. I’ve been in hibernation for the last couple of months, basically paralyzed by what can only be described as a rapid descent into authoritarian hell.  In his seminal work, “On Tyranny”, Timothy Snyder warns:  “Listen for dangerous words. Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal…
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Anchor’s Aweigh: New Policies and New Proposed Guidelines Find Us Unmoored in 2025

I call this episode “Anchor’s Aweigh” for two reasons.  First, there is a potential seismic shift in federal sentencing coming, which would go far to eliminate what we call the dreaded “anchoring effect” of the draconian and deeply dysfunctional sentencing guidelines. If this passes, it will likely be the biggest change in guideline sentencing since Booker was…
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The Truth About Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases with Ashley Adams, Esq.

Restitution is often imposed to compensate crime victims for their losses. Done correctly, it can help victims recover and allow offenders to move on after serving their sentence. However, defense attorneys sometimes overlook restitution issues, resulting in burdensome payment orders. These can extend prison time and hinder reintegration after release, making restitution effectively a lifelong…
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The Truth About the Presidential Pardon Power With Margaret Love & Mark Allenbaugh

It’s January 2025, and we’re in the final days of the Biden administration.  He has had a busy last month or so issuing pardons and commutations.   This unfettered power is rightly scrutinized but often misunderstood.  The bigger problem is, the whole damn process appears to be broken.  And although Pres. Biden has done some good…
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2024 United States Sentencing Guideline Amendments: A Front Row Seat to the Kabuki Theatre

On November 1, several amendments to the United States Sentencing Guidelines took effect. Some of these changes are significant, offering advantages to the defense, while others are less beneficial. However, ultimately, this process amounts to nothing more than “Kabuki Theatre,” meaning the tortured guideline applications become merely performative, because 18 U.S.C. § 3553, enables discerning…
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BOP Programming With Dr. Alix McLearen

We’ve spent a lot of time running down the BOP, and not without good cause, BUT we don’t give as much attention as we should to the positive things happening inside those walls.  Lawyers need to learn about and advocate for beneficial programming placements for clients, especially those with special needs. Therefore, helping us get set…
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The Future of Federal Fraud with Mark Allenbaugh

We spend so much time and engergy trying to develop our knowledge and skill to better represent our clients.  And keeping abreast of all major developments in the law is paramount to a successful legal practice. But there’s one thing every lawyer needs, and it does not exist – a crystal ball.  If we were…
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The Why of the Where: Mitigation Geo-Narratives with Dr. Julie Urbanik

Where we are born, how many times we were forced to relocate, and the kinds of things happening, or not happening, in our communities, our schools and other institutions in those locations are all important to give context to a client’s life and choices. But how do we tell those stories at sentencing? Thankfully, there’s…
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Podcast Praise

"I know several attorneys who have dramatically improved their sentencing advocacy and outcomes for their clients based on the knowledge you have shared so generously."

Paralegal

"I just wanted to thank you for all your free content! We are definitely listening and putting into work, practice and videos what you’re putting out there. And, people are getting very fair sentences because of it."

Investigator

"I’m new to the public defender office and in my desperation to find resources to get me up to speed, I ran across a post on the sentencing blog referencing your podcast. I’m a hard core podcast listener so I’ve been chomping on episodes almost non-stop since I discovered it." 

Attorney

"I have been listening to your podcasts, and I am so excited about what I am learning!" 

Mitigation Specialist

"Content is king. I find yours to be unusually edifying and enlightening (and occasionally entertaining or endearing to boot)."

Client

"Loved the Lolita podcast! This was such a fascinating topic to explore."

Attorney

"I have really enjoyed your podcast. Most of my work has become Federal defense, and, of course, pretty much all of it results in sentencings. I’ve enjoyed your guests, your comments, and just your overall content. Nicely done."

Attorney

"I just know that the good work you are doing out there to publicize and advocate in this realm of legal practice is causing reverberations."

Client's Family Member

"Your podcasts are a phenomenal source of knowledge, which I listen to at the end of the day on a long run."

Investigator

"I've listened to them all so far.  Maureen Baird was very informative (and even provided a few confessions about the BOP). What a fantastic resource!"

Attorney