Who is Amy Berman Jackson? Judge in Roger Stone case has Baltimore ties.

Trump loyalist and ally Roger Stone was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, a Baltimore native who has effectively concurred with Attorney General William Barr’s call for a lighter sentencing than what was provided in his Justice Department’s recommendation.

Here’s a primer on who Jackson is, why she’s in the news, and how she’s tied to the Baltimore area.

How did Jackson rule in sentencing Stone?

Jackson said Stone’s crimes demanded a significant time behind bars, but she said the seven to nine years originally recommended by the Justice Department were excessive, according to The Associated Press.

Stone was convicted in November on all seven counts of an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

Jackson was also the subject of a controversial post Stone made on social media, in which he used a photo of Jackson with crosshairs superimposed. She scolded Stone during the hearing and said the social media post was intended to stoke public sentiment against the prosecution and the court.

[ Roger Stone sentenced to 3 years, 4 months in prison after Justice Department backs off sentencing recommendation ]

“This is intolerable to the administration of justice,” Jackson said.

The action in federal court comes amid Trump’s unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant that has led to a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations the president has interfered in the case.

Jackson has presided over other high-profile cases

Stone isn’t the only ally of Trump who has been inside of Jackson’s court in recent years. Jackson has also presided over the trial for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates. Jackson revoked Manafort’s bail after federal prosecutors accused him of witness tampering.

Last year, she sentenced Manafort to 43 months in prison on federal conspiracy charges, bringing his total sentence across two different cases to seven and a half years. Gates was sentenced to 45 days of weekend jail time and three years of probation after he cooperated with prosecutors.

In 2013, Jackson sentenced former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to 30 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds. The same year, Jackson also ruled against the Archdiocese of Washington in a case challenging an Obamacare requirement to provide contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance.

[ Trump says prosecutors ‘ought to apologize’ to Roger Stone over sentencing recommendation for president’s longtime friend ]

What is Jackson’s background?

Jackson is the daughter of a Baltimore internist who served in the Army before he became a member of the faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The 65-year-old judge graduated from the Park School of Baltimore in 1972. She received her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and her A.B. cum laude from Harvard College.

The Park School of Baltimore declined to comment on Jackson’s role in the trial.

Jackson was appointed as a United States District Judge in March 2011 after being nominated by President Barack Obama. Prior to joining the court, she engaged in private practice in Washington, D.C. as a member of Trout Cacheris, where she specialized in complex criminal and civil trials and appeals.

Additionally, Jackson was previously partner at the D.C.-based Venable, Baetjer, Howard, and Civiletti. She began her career as a law clerk for the Hon. Harrison L. Winter on the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in D.C., where she received Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards for her work on murder and sexual assault cases.

Jackson is married and has two children.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.