Just as federal judges have discretion to impose a "reasonable" sentence by referring to a set of broad criteria, the Black court reasoned, California trial judges have broad discretion to impose a sentence within a predetermined range. But this characterization of the DSL was not accurate, for California had adopted "sentencing triads, three fixed sentences with no ranges between them.
The Black court's ruling enabled federal judges to exercise judgment in sentencing, utilizing a set of general standards. Conversely, California trial judges possessed more leeway in imposing sentences within a predetermined framework. However, this characterization of the DSL was not accurate, as California had adopted a system with three fixed sentences and no intermediate options.