Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday implored Senate colleagues to support a sweeping overhaul of federal sentencing guidelines, saying they disproportionately affect minorities and are reminiscent of Jim Crow-era laws.
"There is no justice here," said the libertarian and potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate. "It is wrong and it needs to change".
Paul recounted from memory to a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee several cases he said he'd learned about where mandatory minimums had resulted in a miscarriage of justice
He said one man, Edward Clay, was arrested with less than 2 ounces of cocaine. Even as a first-time offender, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison because of mandatory sentencing guidelines, Paul said.
"Each case should be judged on its own merits," Paul said. "Mandatory minimums prevent this from happening."
Paul has drafted legislation with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy to give judges wider latitude to craft their own sentences as one way to relieve prison overcrowding and bring down the exploding costs of running prisons. The committee is looking at that bill and another that focuses on waiving mandatory minimum prison terms in some drug cases.Read the rest of the story HERE.
What's the problem? White or Black, wouldn't Clay have received the same sentence?
If Clay had sold/given that Cocaine to your kid, would you still feel the same way?
I personally don't mind more criminals in jail nor the extra cost of keeping them there.
I say leave mandatory minimum sentences just the way they are. There are safeguards in place in federal courts if one meets the criteria already.
Just because Mr. Clay did not have a previous drug offense, doesn't mean he didn't have a rap sheet for something else. The Safeguards above have an out for those with previous clean records.
If you like what you see, please "Like" us on Facebook either here or here.
Please follow us on Twitter here.
Please follow us on Twitter here.
3 comments:
Sorry Rand. I agree with you on many issues but not on this one.
You need mandatory minimum sentences. There are so many liberal judges out there that if you didn't have that, many who deserve to be in prison would be walking the streets.
There are already alternatives that a federal judge can use if the perpetrator qualifies. It includes a prior 'CLEAN' record. As for state courts, States should have the right to have or not have mandatory minimum sentences.
As to the costs of these incarcerations?....IMHO, MONEY WELL SPENT!
WHAT SAY YOU?
And recall that Paul said a potentially haunting line: "what a tragedy it would have been if America would had never gotten to see Barak Obama as a leader"
5:45 onwards: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/09/19/lawrence_odonnell_praises_rand_paul_for_noting_how_war_on_drugs_affects_blacks.html
Well doesn't Paul believe cocaine and other drugs should be legal anyway. It's the libertarian in him coming out.
-Martha
Post a Comment