Many states as well as the federal government have guidelines that can affect a defendant's sentencing. The intended purpose of these types of statutory guidelines is to promote consistency across a jurisdiction for the commission of particular crimes of a specific severity. For example: 2 defendants who commit the same crime in two different parts of the state should receive a similar sentence per the guidelines. Many people feel these guidelines also have an effect of limiting a court's discretion in imposing punishment in criminal cases before it. The power to sentence is usually an exclusive power of the court. What do you think? Are these guidelines a good idea? If so, why? If not, why not