He was originally sentenced to 24 months in prison, far shorter than what federal guidelines generally specify for crimes of that nature.

Prosecutors appealed the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which remanded the case back to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, which affirmed the original sentence after testimony relating the defendant's rehabilitation.

The defendant then brought the case back to the Eighth Circuit, which confirmed the later ruling, and to then to the Supreme Court.

Sonia Sotomayor wrote the opinion of the court, which ruled in favor of the defendant.

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