Vermont’s top federal judge has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.
Judge William K. Sessions III was nominated to the post in April by President Barack Obama.
The Sentencing Commission is an independent agency within the judiciary that was established in 1984 to develop a national sentencing strategy for the federal courts. Guidelines established by the commission seek to ensure that offenders convicted of similar offenses receive similar sentences.
Sessions has served as vice chair of the commission since November 1999.
While serving as commission chair, Sessions will continue in his post as Vermont’s top federal judge.