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ABA Journal covers the controversies over federal child porn sentences

By Douglas A. Berman

The June issue of the ABA Journal includes this long article on the debate over federal child porn sentencing.  The article is titled, "A Reluctant Rebellion," and here are some excerpts: [Judge Lynn] Adelman?s criticism [of the child porn sentencing guidelines] goes to the heart of a much larger struggle in the federal courts over the federal sentencing guidelines that apply to computer-based child pornography offenses. Those guidelines tend to treat even first-time offenders with no history of abusing or exploiting children as seriously as murderers, rapists or child molesters. Critics say the mandatory and recommended pen­alties for child porn offenses under the guidelines far exceed the seriousness of the crime committed by the typical offender who is swapping and down­loading child porn online with other like-minded in­dividuals in the presumed privacy of his own home...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on June 12, 2009 (boomark / email).