Prosecutors don't decide sentences in the United States. Judges decide sentences and in US Federal Government cases, the US Government issues sentencing guidelines. These guidelines are usually used to determine how long a person goes to prison for.
What prosecutors can do is recommend a sentence and let the judge know that a criminal cooperated. Cooperating typically reduces a criminal's sentance. Ultimately, Federal sentences are decided by three things:
A) The laws of the United States. These can be changed by the United States Congress.
> What prosecutors can do is recommend a sentence and let the judge know that a criminal cooperated. Cooperating typically reduces a criminal's sentance. Ultimately, Federal sentences are decided by three things:
The prosecution does decide charges to bring forward, so the prosecution can decide to only charge defendants with lesser charges if they cooperate to catch bigger fishes.
If Judges stopped going along with prosecutor's deals, then nobody would be making deals ever again. Usually, judges do honor deals made with the defendant.
What prosecutors can do is recommend a sentence and let the judge know that a criminal cooperated. Cooperating typically reduces a criminal's sentance. Ultimately, Federal sentences are decided by three things:
A) The laws of the United States. These can be changed by the United States Congress.
B) The sentencing guidelines (https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines)
C) Prison Capacity (At some point, you cannot send anyone else to jail because the prisons are full)